Shades of Dawn
by AshleySue
Summary: Eric is the lead singer of a popular band brought low by personal tragedy. Will Sookie, their newest band member, be able to help them reclaim their former glory? And if so, at what cost? AU/AH, a little OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I had no plans on starting a new AH fic, but, this idea popped into my head and refused to go away. I will say that I was inspired by three other fics that feature our favorite characters as musicians. These stories are: **_**Good Girls & Bad Boys by Schafer**_**; **_**Nothing Personal by ohfortuneslost**_**; and **_**Last Request by MegsMoke**_**. This wonderful writers inspired me, but I want to point out that I am not in any way trying to copy or steal what they've already done. PS, I don't own any of the characters, just the storyline. Enjoy and let me know what you think!!!**

"Eric?!? Have you even heard a single word I've said?" Eric Northman turned away from the window to look at his best friend, Lafayette. Lafayette was currently behind the wheel of his Mazda 6, speeding down the interstate, and Eric felt slightly uncomfortable as he noticed that Lafayette was watching **him **instead of the road.

"Laf, watch the road, not me. No, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying?"

Lafayette let out a loud sigh. "Eric, you need to put your game face on. It's time for you to start taking things seriously, again. I know you're having a bit of a rough time, but, it's been a year. And, if we don't get our asses in gear, we'll be dropped from the label, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we were sued for breach of contract."

Eric simply nodded his head, and turned to look back out the window. "Yeah, I know. And, I promise you that by the time we get to the club, I'll be ready for this. But, until then, just let me think, okay?"

As far as Eric could tell in the dark car, Lafayette rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement. Eric once again turned and watched the scenery go by. He let his mind drift back to the past, as it had so many times recently.

He'd been born and raised in Sweden. He was an only child, and although his parents spoiled him with material goods, they very sparingly gave him their love. So, it did not come as a big surprise when, at the age of 16, they informed him that he would be moving to Shreveport, Louisiana to live with his Aunt Amelia and her son, Clancy.

Amelia, a recent divorcee, was his mother's only sister. Her husband, Claude, had come home from work one day, informed his wife that he'd decided he was gay, and left his family without another word. Amelia had been a bit of a wreck after Claude left, and had mentioned to her sister that she was having a hard time taking care of Clancy all on her own.

Well, of course, her sister immediately offered to send her own son to stay with them. Everyone knew that the real reason was because having a child interfered with her social life too much, but, they kept that fact hidden from view. So, Eric packed up his things, and moved in with his depressed Aunt, and his 13 year old cousin.

Eric knew that moving to a new place wouldn't be easy. But, he didn't quite comprehend how difficult it was actually going to be, since he was moving to a completely different country, and he would be staying with family he barely knew. Amelia tried to help make the transition easier on him, and it did help, even if just a little.

He was shocked at the types of attention he got from his classmates on his first day at his new school. The girls all batted their eyes, and tried to flirt with him. The boys wanted nothing to do with him. But, who could blame them. He was the new kid, a novelty in a small town. Plus, he was already well over 6 feet tall, had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and the physique of someone who'd spent countless hours in the gym.

It did surprise him, though, that the first person to actually make an effort to get to know him was the only other person in their graduating class to stand out like a sore thumb. Lafayette Reynolds was a wonderfully flamboyant, make-up wearing gay man who made absolutely no apologies for who or what he was. Eric found his attitude to be very refreshing, and they became great friends very quickly.

They were able to do the majority of their bonding, however, over their mutual love of writing and playing music. Eric was pretty good at guitar and piano, but his true passion was singing. Lafayette, on the other hand, played the bass guitar like nobody's business. The two of them spent countless hours messing around in the garage at Eric's home, learning to play everything they heard on the radio, and writing songs of their own, as well.

This continued until they graduated from high school, but unfortunately, died down a little after that. Eric was attending classes at LSU Shreveport, and since Lafayette couldn't afford college, he took on a full-time job. They still got together to play as often as they could, but, didn't take it as seriously. That is, until Lafayette brought a friend from work over one day.

Lafayette had been working for the parish road department, and had struck up an odd friendship with one of his coworkers, Alcide Herveaux. As it turned out, Alcide was quite the drummer, and he began spending his spare time working on music with Eric and Lafayette.

The three of them talked often about their desires to actually do something with their music. But, something always held them back. If Eric was honest with himself, it was his own insecurity, really. He didn't think he was strong enough on guitar to really do their songs any justice. So, they mostly played for themselves, and only occasionally performed in front of an audience.

They rehearsed every Saturday afternoon, without fail. One weekend, Lafayette called Eric to ask if he would pick him up for practice, because Lafayette's car had a flat, and Alcide was running late. Eric had of course gone, and when they pulled into the driveway, they were shocked at what they heard. Either someone had turned some really loud music on, or, someone was playing the guitar in the garage. No, not just playing, but playing incredibly well.

They were both shocked when they entered the garage to find that it was Eric's cousin, Clancy. Eric knew that Clancy had taken a few lessons, but, he had no idea at how talented his cousin actually was. And the rest, as they say, was history. The four of them began writing and performing as often as they could. They were lucky enough to be approached by an agent. Pamela Ravenscroft looked like a middle-class soccer mom, which was the most likely reason that people underestimated her. She was tough as nails, and could negotiate with the best of them. Thanks to Pam, it wasn't long before Shades of Dawn was the newest band signed by Bon Temps Records, based out of New Orleans.

Things began happening faster than any of them could've ever imagined. A few months after being signed, they were touring nationally as the opening act for the label's biggest acts, and were lucky enough to churn out two albums in three years. However, it was during their first headline tour that everything went wrong.

They had been on the road for five months straight, and were set to play in Seattle for two nights, and then go home for a much needed six week break. Eric and Clancy spoke to Amelia on the phone at least once a week. By this time, Eric was 22, and seemed very mature for his age, but, Clancy was still very much a teenager at 19. Amelia constantly worried about her son, and Eric promised time and again to always watch out for him. They had grown very close, and Eric looked at Clancy more as a brother than just a cousin.

They had arrived in Seattle a night early, and, since it was his first time in the city, Clancy wanted to hit the town. Eric opted to stay at the hotel and catch up on his sleep, and encouraged Clancy to just go out and have a good time by himself. He would never forgive himself for what happened. When he went to get his cousin the next day for sound check, there was no answer at Clancy's door. So, he eventually got the concierge to let him into the room. When he entered the room, Eric found his cousin dead. Weeks later, it would be concluded that Clancy had overdosed on meth and cocaine.

Eric was completely distraught. He allowed himself to become a recluse, rarely leaving home. Amelia told him over and over again that she didn't blame him, but, Eric certainly blamed himself. If he'd only gone out with Clancy that night, he thought, he would've stopped him from taking what he did.

Shades of Dawn had ended up canceling a European tour, and indefinitely postponed the release of an album they'd almost finished recording at the time of Clancy's death. Pam told them to take however long they needed to grieve before returning to their music. Apparently though, it wasn't as much of an open timeline as they'd thought.

Nine months after the tragedy, Pam said that the head of the label, Sophie-Anne LeClerq, was beginning to get impatient, and needed for them to get back into the swing of things. They began auditioning new guitarists, but, Eric said no to every prospect they found. Everyone knew that he was doing this because he didn't want to think that his cousin could be replaced.

"We're here," Lafayette said, once again bringing Eric's mind back to the present. Eric looked up to see that they had indeed pulled into the parking lot of a small club just outside of Shreveport. He took the time to note that the parking lot was completely full.

As the two of them got out of the car and began walking towards the club, Lafayette took it upon himself to remind Eric of their goal for the evening. "Okay, so Pam said that she saw this band play last week in Monroe, and that word is they're calling it quits, soon. Apparently, two of the band members were dating, and one was caught cheating. Rumor is they can hardly stand to be in the same room anymore. This is their home turf, so, it's more or less their farewell performance I guess you could say. She said that the lead guitarist completely blew her away. She actually used the words 'the next John Mayer.'"

Eric gave Lafayette a skeptical look. "If this guy's that good, how come he's playing in a hick bar in a Podunk town?"

"Hey, it wasn't that long ago that we were playin' hick bars, so shut it." Eric smiled at his friend, and just rolled his eyes a little.

If the bouncer at entrance to the bar recognized either of them, he didn't let it show. Eric found it nice to feel anonymous in a world where it seemed everyone recognized his face and voice. He relished the ambience of the room as he and Lafayette made their way towards the bar. It was just like any other small bar, in any other town. Full of people who all know each other, clouds of cigarette smoke thick in the air and the smell of stale alcohol everywhere you turned.

Once they reached the bar, they both ordered a beer, and began to scan the crowd for Alcide, who was supposed to meet them. They could see that a band was setting up on stage, but didn't give it much thought for the time being. There was more than one band playing that night, and until Pam arrived, they had no way of knowing which one they'd come for. They finally spotted Alcide, who waved, and came to join them at the bar.

"Where the hell is Pam? I don't wanna be here all damn night," Alcide said once he'd reached them.

"She should be here any minute, if she's not here already," Lafayette answered. Pam had a reputation for being extremely detail oriented, and was never late for anything. It had annoyed her to no end that every member of the band seemed to be very good at procrastinating.

They heard the tell-tale 'pop' of a sound system switching on, and figured the band was now ready to perform. However, they didn't bother to look at the stage, still scanning the crowd for any sign of Pam.

"Well now, how's everyone doin' tonight?" came a small feminine voice through the speakers. Eric turned to look, and was a little taken back by what he saw. She was not what he expected when he heard her speak. She sounded so full of Southern Charm, like a sweet little debutante, but she certainly didn't look the part. She was maybe 5'6", with long blonde hair that was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She wore a deep red tank top, black cargo pants, and black Vans. Her eyes had been made-up with dark shadow and liner, achieving a very sensual smoky look.

"Well, most of y'all know that this is going to be our farewell performance, so let's not waste any time and get right down to brass tax, shall we?" So, Eric thought, this is the band they came to see. He turned his head and made a quick nod to Lafayette and Alcide to make sure they caught that as well.

The band consisted of four members. The blonde woman at the microphone, a similar looking blonde man on drums, a thin-looking man with shaggy reddish-brown hair on bass guitar, and a pale man with dark brown hair on lead guitar. Eric closely watched the dark haired man, assuming he's the one Pam was interested in auditioning.

The crowd began to cheer as the familiar beginning of "Come Together" filled the air.

It was more of a bluesy, rock arrangement than Eric had heard before, and he enjoyed it. When the blonde opened her mouth to sing, he was more than a little impressed. Her voice was raw and husky, and had a sort of raspy quality to it. She moved her hips to the beat as she sang, and made use of every available bit of space on the stage, moving around quite a bit.

She was almost oblivious to the crowd as she sang. She was in her own world, and it was a sight to behold. She looked completely relaxed and comfortable on stage. She seemed to be one of those people that were entertaining to watch not because of their skill in what they did, but rather their own personal enjoyment of it. It was sexy as hell. She interacted with the bass player and drummer while she sang, but kept distance between herself and the dark-haired guitar player. Eric figured they were the two who had been dated, and which one was the cheater.

When the song ended, the crowd went absolutely nuts. Lafayette leaned over to Eric and Alcide, and said, "Damn, if I was in to women, I'd be in her pants in a heartbeat!" Eric and Alcide just laughed.

"Hey, there's Pam," Alcide said, and Eric and Lafayette turned to look in the direction he was indicating. Once Eric was sure that she had seen them and was on her way to join them, he allowed his attention to return to the stage. He was surprised to see that the woman also had a guitar now, and that the dark-haired man was at the mic. You don't normally see a band with a female guitarist, unless the band is all women.

They began playing another song, but it wasn't anything that Eric was familiar with. The new singer had a good enough voice, but it wasn't enough to really make him stand out in a crowd. He thought they would've done better if they'd left the woman at the mic. When it came to the break in the song, Eric's eyes were drawn once again to the woman with the guitar. He was mesmerized. Her fingers flew over the fingerboard, and her pic hand went so fast, it was barely a blur. She was playing some very difficult riffs, and she was making it look easy.

The song was just ending when Pam finally reached Eric, Lafayette, and Alcide. "Parking in this hell hole is atrocious," she said, by way of greeting. She asked the bartender for a shot of bourbon, and drank it down before turning back to the men again. "So," she said, nodding to the band on stage, "what did you all think?"

"Not too bad," Lafayette said. Pam cocked one eyebrow, clearly not getting the response she'd expected.

"He's okay, but it's not really anything to write home about," Eric added.

Pam laughed. "Oh, it's not him I brought you here to see. It's **her**," Pam said, nodding towards the woman. They all seemed surprised at this. "Her name is Sookie Stackhouse, and I'd bet good money she's the best guitar player you'll find in the state." She couldn't help but laugh at the look of complete shock on all of their faces.


	2. Chapter 2

Sookie and Jason had been brought up in a small house just outside of Shreveport. Their father, Corbett Stackhouse, was a crew leader at Norcross, the local lumber plant. Their mother, Linda, was a nurse, and worked at an area hospital. During the summer, on his way to work, their father would drop Sookie, Jason, and their younger brother Tray off at their Grandmother's, and she would keep them until their mother picked them up. During the school year, they would take the school bus to Gran's house, and their father would pick them up on his way home.

Gran's home was a wonderful old farmhouse that had been in the family for generations. It was situated in the middle of a clearing surrounded by dense forest. On the other side of that forest, was the Compton Estate. The Compton's were a family that was more or less swimming in money. While playing in the woods one day, Sookie and Jason had met Bill, who was two years their senior. He was a bit snobbish and egotistical, but, he was also the only child within their own age range within a 15 mile radius.

Growing up, they'd spent many days playing with Bill. He never missed an opportunity to remind them of all the luxuries he possessed that they didn't. He didn't seem to hold their "lower class" status against them, though. It was simply a part of who they were. Sookie had laughed out loud at him when at Bill's 13th birthday party he told Sookie that she would be lucky if he married her one day. She thought his family's view on their own wealth was hilarious.

But, everything changed the year that Jason and Sookie turned 12. Their younger brother's health had been declining for quite some time, and their parents eventually pulled him out of school. When Jason and Sookie asked their parents what was wrong with him, they simply said that he had an illness that made him very weak, and he needed a lot of rest. They didn't hear the word leukemia until two weeks before their brother passed away.

Seeing how hard Tray's death was on his wife, Corbett moved them from Louisiana to be closer to her family in Chicago. She tried to be a good, attentive mother, but, the loss of her youngest child was just too much for her, and Jason and Sookie took care of her as much as she did them. They didn't blame her, though. They missed him, too.

After graduating high school, but were both accepted at LSU Shreveport, and their Grandmother, bless her heart, offered to have them move in with her to save money on housing. So, at the age of 18, Jason and Sookie moved back to Louisiana. They'd both taken piano lessons growing up, and each had a passion for music; so, it came as a surprise to no one when they both chose music as their major.

They were surprised to bump into Bill one day on campus. They all went for coffee to catch up, and fluidly moved into their familiar, comfortable friendship. Bill told them that he was majoring in music, as well. It wasn't long until he introduced them to a friend and fellow music major, Sam Merlotte. Within 3 months of moving to Louisiana, Sookie, Jason, Bill and Sam were playing together on a regular basis.

After Bill graduated, he wanted to begin the process of finding a manager, and taking their band to the next level. Sam and Jason were all for it, but, Sookie wanted to keep things low key a while longer until she and Jason had the chance to graduate as well. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Jason and Sookie's grandmother suffered a stroke, and needed full-time care. However, they were unable to afford a private nurse, so, Sookie cut back on classes, and stayed home with Gran more often than not. This went on for a little over a year until Gran passed away. Corbett and Linda came down for the funeral, of course. They were informed by Gran's attorney that the house had been left to Corbett, which everyone expected, since he was her only child.

What was decidedly unexpected, however, was when Corbett made known his intentions to sign the house over to Sookie and Jason right away, while covering the next five years worth of property taxes for them. They took the opportunity to throw themselves into their music, and things began to look up.

They were fortunate enough to be asked to perform at a local music festival one summer night, and played one of the greatest sets they'd ever done. However, as they were loading all of their gear into the back of Jason's truck, it began pouring rain, and they all got soaking wet. They drove back to Sookie and Jason's home, where they stored all of their equipment, and unloaded everything. Jason left to give Sam a ride home, while Sookie and Bill pulled out several towels and wiped everything down to prevent water damage.

They were still riding the post-gig high, and one thing led to another, and they ended up in bed together. They weren't sure if throwing a relationship into the mix would make things awkward for Jason or Sam, so, they tried to keep their mutual affection a secret. It wasn't long, however, until Sam told them to "just stop pretending you aren't fucking each other so we can stop pretending we don't know you're fucking each other."

Sookie's friendship with Bill slid easily into a romantic relationship. They spent countless hours lying in each others arms, writing songs together, and dreaming of the future. Sookie couldn't possibly imagine herself being any happier. And **that**, was when it all came crashing down.

At rehearsal one day, Bill told the others that he had a friend from college who worked as a talent scout for Sony, and was interested in hearing them. They all agreed they were ready for the next big thing, so, told Bill to set it up. Five days later, he walked into rehearsal with a petite woman who he introduced as Lorena. Sookie disliked her right from the start, but couldn't quite tell why. Maybe it was the slightly off-color extensions in her hair, or the poorly done boob job. Or, it could've been that she was looking at Sookie's boyfriend like a dog eyes a t-bone.

Whatever it was, it made Sookie uncomfortable, and nervous. Lorena was there to listen to them play, and judge their talent, and it couldn't have gone worse. Sookie's timing was off, and she was playing wrong notes. She was just completely flustered. She couldn't remember the last time she played this poorly. Once Bill left to drive Lorena back to, wherever, Sookie apologized profusely to Sam and Jason. She didn't want her jealous feelings to ruin their chance. They told her they completely understood though, and that they couldn't blame her if nothing came of their meeting with Lorena.

Bill, however, did not feel the same. When he returned to Sookie's home that evening, he chewed her out for a good 90 minutes. He told her that he'd never heard her play so sloppily. He said that he was disappointed in her, and, if they didn't get signed, it would be all her fault. And then, just like that, he left. He said he was too upset to be around her just then, and that they'd talk again tomorrow or the next day.

Sookie cried herself to sleep that night. She felt horrible that she'd performed so badly, but, she felt even worse that she had let Bill down. She knew she had to find some way to make it up to him. She remembered that he'd once written a song for her, and how wonderful it made her feel. So, she sat down at her piano, and worked for hours on crafting a piece of music that showed how deeply she cared for him.

The moment it was finished, she jumped into her car and drove straight to Bill's house. All she could think of was playing the song for him, and making it all up to him. She saw his car in the drive, and let herself into his house. She was so excited that she didn't stop running until she'd bounded up the stairs, down the hallway, and threw his bedroom door open.

If she thought her heart hurt after the way he'd treated her the previous night, there was nothing to compare to the pain she was feeling just then. Bill was on his back on the bed, naked, his eyes screwed shut in pleasure, and Lorena was busily bouncing up and down on top of him. Bill must not have heard Sookie enter the room, because he didn't even open his eyes until he heard Lorena laugh, and he wanted to see what was so funny.

Sookie could've never prepared herself for the look of anger his eyes held at that moment. She had just caught her boyfriend having sex with someone else, and he was actually looking at her like she'd done something wrong. She stepped into the hallway and softly closed the door behind her, and began to walk back out of the house. She was just stepping off the porch when the door to the house flung open, and Bill stepped out with a sheet wrapped around his waist.

"Sookie, what the hell did you expect?" He roared at her. "I had to do **something** to make up for how poorly you played yesterday. If you hadn't sucked so damn bad, we wouldn't be in this situation."

She couldn't believe her ears. So, in Bill's mind, he was justified in cheating on her, because he had to make up for the fact that she played poorly, because this horrible woman had been making goo-goo eyes at Bill during said performance. She didn't know what to say or how to react, so, so simply climbed into her car and drove away.

Jason found her crying in her bed several hours later, and after much begging, finally got her to admit what had happened to upset her so badly. He held her, and let her cry on his shoulder until she fell asleep.

When Sookie woke the next day, she noted that her cell phone said she had a new voice message. She held the phone in her hand and stared at it for a few minutes, trying to get up the courage to see who had called. When she finally did, she was relieved to see that the missed call was from Jason.

"_Hey Sook, listen, I just talked to Sam, and more or less filled him in on what happened with you and Bill. Sam offered to kick his ass for ya, but, I told him that if you decided you wanted someone to do that, I'd get to be the lucky one. Anyway, the two of us decided that we really want nothing more to do with him. We're already booked to play at a bar on Saturday night, so, that'll just have to be our final performance together. Don't stay in bed all day, okay. He's not worth anymore tears. I love ya, sis."_

She looked down at her watch. 3pm. Well, so much for not staying in bed all day. She went to the kitchen and had some toast and a much needed cup of coffee. She knew that Jason was right, and that she couldn't allow herself to be all mopey. But, her eyes were red and swollen from all the crying she'd done, so she also didn't want to go out.

She eventually opted for relaxation therapy. She quickly threw a load of clothes into the washer, then ran herself a gloriously hot bubble bath, and lit candles in the bathroom. She grabbed her stereo, and turned on a beautiful Celtic CD that Jason had given her last Christmas.

When she got out of the tub, she was thrilled to find Jason and Sam waiting in the living room for her. They'd gotten take-out from her favorite Chinese place, and had rented sappy chick flicks to watch with her. She mused allowed at how special she must be to them, for them to voluntarily cut their own balls off to make her feel better. They all laughed together, and by morning, she'd already started to feel better.

Unfortunately, that "better" feeling started to wear off Saturday afternoon while she was getting ready for their gig. To say she was having mixed feelings would be a gross understatement. The four of them had been playing music together for almost five years, now. They'd worked hard to perfect their sound, and she was sad to see that come to an end. But, it would also be the first time she'd seen Bill since she left him on the porch that day.

She'd been standing in front of her open closet in her pajamas for about 45 minutes when Sam walked in. He looked at her for a moment, looked in the closet, then back at her. He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, and moved her until she was sitting on the bed. Then, he walked into her closet, and a few minutes later, walked out, holding her black cargo pants, favorite red tank top, and black vans. He put them down on the bed next to her, and turned to walk out. He paused in the doorway, and without turning to look at her, said, "Tonight, you're gonna be the sexiest woman in that bar. And when you're on stage, you're gonna shake your ass, play your heart out, and have the best performance of your life. And then Bill will spend the rest of **his** life regretting what he did."

And that's exactly what she did. She didn't hold anything back. She'd never had more fun performing, and judging by the cheers of the audience, it showed. A few times, she'd noticed a small group of people at the bar watching her intently. Normally, she wouldn't have picked out small groups in such a crowded bar. But, these four stood out because they were all so attractive!

One tall, muscular man with dark, curly hair, a black man who appeared to be wearing make-up, a blonde woman who looked like she'd just stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting, and a tall blonde man whose eyes followed her every move. The blonde man looked familiar, but Sookie couldn't quite place how she knew him.

After their performance had ended, Sam, Jason, and Sookie stood outside, loading their gear into Jason's truck, and just enjoying the night air. They heard a female voice say, "Pardon me, but I was hoping to have a word with Miss Stackhouse."

Sookie turned to face the speaker, and found that she was face to face with the four people she'd caught watching her on stage. Jason made his way over so that he was standing next to her, and rested his arm on her shoulder, in a casual yet protective sort of stance. "How can we help you, M'am?" He asked.

"Well, Mr. Stackhouse, I was hoping to have a moment to speak with your sister in private," came her snarky reply.

Jason chuckled. "Anything you want to say to Sookie, you can say to me. So, you best get started talking."

However, before the woman got the chance to speak again, Sookie realized who the blonde man was. She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. They all focused their attention on her, as she looked at him and said, "Holy shit! You're Clancy's cousin!"


	3. Chapter 3

Eric had a standing appointment to have breakfast with his Aunt Amelia every Sunday at 9am. He knew that she wouldn't take a hangover as a good enough excuse to cancel, so, he drank the strongest coffee he could find, and made the short drive to her home. When they had first signed a contract with Bon Temps Records, Eric and Clancy had both offered to help her buy a nice, newer home, but, she'd declined. She said that she didn't need something new, when there wasn't anything wrong with what was old.

Eric parked his corvette, and made his way into the kitchen, knowing that's where he would find his aunt. As soon as he entered the house, he was hit with the comfortable, familiar smell of her cooking. She was standing in front of the stove, taking a piece of French toast out of the pan. He stood behind her, put his arms around her stomach to hug her, and placed a kiss to her cheek.

She giggled as she said, "Well hello to you, too." Eric released her, and went to sit at the table. Amelia poured him a mug of coffee, and brought a plate of food to set in front of him. When she finally laid eyes on his face, she scowled for a moment. "So, what made you decide to get shit-faced last night?"

Eric couldn't help but laugh at how well she knew him. "Well, that's actually something I wanted to talk to you about." He took a bite of French toast, and his eyes rolled up as he savored the flavor. Once he'd swallowed, he said, "I think I told you that Sophie-Ann has guilted Pam into getting us to settle on a new lead guitar, right?" He paused, and continued once Amelia nodded her head. "Well, Pam told us that she'd found someone that would be perfect, so, we went to a bar to watch a performance last night." He took a large gulp of coffee, and wondered to himself if she would ever tell him what her secret add-in was that made her coffee better than any you'd find at any coffee shop in the world.

"And? Was he any good?"

"Well, that's the thing. It wasn't a he. **She** was outstanding. But, here's the rub. She said she knew Clancy." Eric took another bite of food to gauge his aunt's reaction. Some days, she was absolutely fine thinking about her son. Others, she openly wept if his name was mentioned at all.

"Hmm, a female guitarist who knew Clancy. What's her name?"

"Sookie Stackhouse."

No matter how many times he'd pictured this conversation in his head, he never anticipated Amelia's reaction. She began laughing so hard that she had to put her coffee mug down so she wouldn't spill it all over her hands.

"You know, I should've known. I'm actually surprised that I haven't thought of suggesting her to you before now. She really is quite the talent. She told you she knew Clancy?"

"Well, more or less." Eric knew he was getting to the part where his aunt would yell at him.

"More or less, huh? And just **what** was your reaction?"

"Well, we'd just approached her after the performance to speak with her about setting up an audition time. Pam didn't even really get to introduce herself, because this Stackhouse chick said, 'hey, you're Clancy's cousin.' And, well, you know me, I reacted poorly." Amelia rolled her eyes. "I said, 'yeah, I am,' and then just walked off. I didn't even stay to hear the rest of the conversation. I went back into the bar, and about 20 minutes later, Laf came in and tried to talk me out of getting drunk."

"Eric!"

"I know, I know. Bad manners make me a jerk. But, I was kinda freaked out. I figured walking away was better than jumping down her throat."

"Well, at least you're right about that. Well, I guess you'd like to know how she knew Clancy, yes?" Eric nodded. "When you first moved in with us, and you noticed that Clancy didn't have many friends, do you remember what his answer was when you asked him why?"

"Sure. He said that his best friend, Tray, had died of leukemia like a year before, and he just hadn't felt like making new friends, yet."

"Right. His best friend Tray. Tray Stackhouse." Eric's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Clancy and Tray were in the same first grade class together, and became best friends almost instantly. They had sleepovers almost every weekend. Clancy completely idolized Tray's older brother, Jason. He thought he was just the coolest person in the world. Well, until he turned 8, anyway. Then, he decided the coolest person in the world was Jason's twin-sister, Sookie." Eric was a little surprised by this. He hadn't known Jason and Sookie were twins. "She was his first crush. She was actually the one who got him interested playing guitar."

Amelia stood, and walked to the counter to get the coffee pot to give both her and Eric a refill. "Shortly after Clancy and Tray started fourth grade, Tray's mother, Linda, called me. She said that Tray had been diagnosed with leukemia. She was heartbroken. She said that she wanted me to be aware of it, but, that she hadn't told her older children about it, and didn't know how, when, or even **if** they were ever going to tell Jason and Sookie. I didn't think that was the best decision, but, since it was their child, I went along with it, and promised not to tell Clancy. Tray passed away about 18 months later. Having to explain to Clancy about Tray having been sick was just awful. Linda was an absolute mess, so, her husband, Corbett, moved the family up to Chicago to be closer to Linda's parents. Sookie and Jason both kept in touch with Clancy. They wrote him a letter once a week, and then when they all became computer wizes, they emailed quite a bit.

"After they both graduated high school, they moved back here and took classes at LSU Shreveport. Clancy had lunch with them a couple of times. But, that's right around the time that you boys started getting busy with Shades of Dawn, so, he didn't have much spare time." She paused for a moment, and looked upwards, as if she could see Clancy smiling down at her from heaven. "Honestly, he would probably find all of this to be incredibly hilarious. He had a crush on her, still, which is why he never introduced her to **you**." Eric looked confused, and Amelia just smiled and shook her head. "Well, he knew that she was the type of girl you normally date. He knew that he never really had a chance with her, but the last thing he wanted was to have her end up dating you!"

Eric couldn't help but laugh. Yes, that definitely **did** sound like something Clancy would do. His thoughts of his cousin were interrupted by a knock at the front door.

Amelia stood, wondering aloud who their visitor could be, and made her way to the front door. Eric stood from the table, and walked to the entryway when he heard her opening the door.

"Hi Amelia, I hope I'm not intruding," said a familiar feminine voice. Eric groaned internally.

"Why, Sookie Stackhouse, if this isn't just a wonderful surprise!" Eric watched Amelia take Sookie's hand in hers, and pull her into a hug. After a moment, Sookie's eyes focused on him, and she stiffened, standing up straight.

"Maybe this isn't a very good time," she said softly.

"Nonsense, please come in. Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh, I'd hate to impose."

"You aren't imposing at all, Miss Stackhouse," Eric said, finally breaking his silence, as he began to walk towards the two women. He took a moment to take in how different Sookie looked now, compared to when she was performing last night. She was wearing a pair of dark wash denim shorts, a yellow t-shirt, and yellow flip-flops. Her hair was down, but she'd put a headband on to keep it out of her face. "As my aunt so graciously pointed out to me earlier, I was terribly rude to you last night, and allowing you to leave without an apology would most likely shame her into disowning me." Eric and Sookie both laughed at Amelia's horrified gasp. "I am sorry that I walked away in the middle of the conversation. You'd just surprised me a little, is all."

"I can imagine. I didn't know that you were unaware that I'd known your cousin."

"Yes, well, Amelia here was just filling me in on why Clancy never mentioned you to me."

Sookie turned and looked at Amelia with curiosity. Amelia blushed a little, and simply shook her head. Obviously, if she was ever going to tell Sookie what she'd just told Eric, it wouldn't be while Eric was present. Seemingly out of nowhere, Eric's face stretched as he yawned loudly, and put his hand on the back of his head to try and rub away some of the discomfort he felt due to his overindulgence the night before.

"Eric, why don't you go get some rest?" Amelia asked. He slowly nodded, knowing he could use a few more hours sleep. He went to grab his keys from where he'd set them on the counter. "No, no, no. You're not fit to drive. You'd probably just fall asleep at the wheel. Just go lay down in your old room upstairs."

He stood frozen, and Sookie thought he looked as still as a statue. Finally, he smiled slightly, and made his way up the staircase. As he walked down the hallway, he passed the door to what had been his cousin's room. He didn't need to try the handle to know it was locked. Shortly after Clancy had died, Amelia had locked the room, and only went in once a week or so to do a bit of spot cleaning. She'd been unable to pack his things up. She'd told Eric that she thought someday she might be able to do it, but, it most likely wouldn't be for at least a few more months.

After Claude left her, Clancy and Eric were all she had left. She lived and breathed to care for them while they were still both in school. In the seven years since he'd moved to Louisiana, Amelia had done more for him that his own mother had done in the first 16 years of his life!

As his thoughts moved to his mother, he felt anger slowly begin to build in him. When Shades of Dawn had released their second album, it got quite a bit of praise from critics, and had been featured in a large article in Rolling Stone. A few days after the article ran, he'd discovered that his mother had been scheduling interviews with several European papers, wanting to talk all about her son and nephew. She told reporters all about how important they both were to her. Funny that she couldn't even bother to fly to the states for Clancy's funeral. His parents had gotten a divorce two years after he'd moved to Louisiana, but his father at least had the decency to send flowers, and a heartfelt letter of sympathy to Amelia. He hadn't spoken to his mother in months, and he had absolutely no desire to do so, now.

He rested his hand on the door to Clancy's room for a moment, then continued down the hallway to his own room. He smiled as he entered and softly shut the door behind him. It had been a while since he'd been there. Shortly after Clancy died, he'd stayed there for a while so Amelia wouldn't be all alone. If he was completely honest with himself, he also did it so **he** wouldn't be alone. He noticed that the furniture was free of dust, the carpet pristine, and the sheets were crisp, and smelt wonderfully clean. Amelia always was a meticulous cleaner. He kicked off his shoes, and lay down on the comfortable, familiar bed. He was asleep in no time.

He awoke to the sound of knocking, and Amelia calling his name. He sat up and looked at his watch, surprised to find he'd been asleep for four hours. He opened the door, and smiled groggily at his aunt.

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd need a blow horn to get your attention," she said smiling. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. There's nothing like strong coffee, good food, and a long nap to cure a hangover," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know. I think the perfect cure to a hangover would be to not get sloppy drunk in the first place!"

"Touché."

"Well, my dear nephew, I have a favor to ask of you."

He leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms over his chest. "Fire away."

"Well, as she was getting ready to leave, Sookie noticed that her car has a flat tire." Eric nodded and rolled his eyes a little, assuming he was going to be asked to change her tire. "Unfortunately, though, she doesn't have a spare with her. She called Jason, and he's got one he can put on until she gets a new tire, but, he's in Monroe and won't be back for a few more hours. Could you give her a ride back to her place, and she'll come back later with Jason and get her car?"

Eric thought it over for a moment. He didn't really mind, as long as it wasn't too much out of his way. "Where's her place at?"

"About ten miles from here, just off of Hummingbird Road. It's adjacent to the old parish cemetery." Eric knew the area, and it was only about a mile out of his way.

"Sure, I'll take her home, no problem," he answered, even though he wasn't really looking forward to it. He still felt awkward because of the way he'd treated her last night, and knowing what Amelia had told him earlier about how Clancy felt about her.

"Thank you, Eric. She's down in the living room. I'll let her know you'll be ready to leave in just a few minutes?" Amelia, not one to make assumptions. Eric nodded his head, and his aunt headed toward the stairs, while Eric went towards the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Eric came downstairs, and went to the kitchen to grab his keys. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sookie stand and hug Amelia, and then make her way outside. Eric gave his aunt a prolonged hug, kissed her on the cheek, and told her he'd call her in a few days, and to let him know if she needed anything. When he walked out of the house, Sookie was sitting on the bottom step of the porch waiting for him.

He led her over to the passenger side of his Corvette, and opened the door for her. She eyed him a little suspiciously, but didn't say anything. Once he was in, and they were on the road, he said, "So, I just head like I'm going to the old parish cemetery, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," she said, looking out the window and very obviously not looking at him at all. "Thanks for the ride, by the way, I appreciate," she added as an afterthought.

"It's no problem, it's really not far out of my way, anyway. Plus, it gives me another chance to say how sorry I am for being so rude last night."

She finally turned her face to look at him. "It's okay, really, I understand. You're still grieving, and I caught you off guard. There's really nothing to apologize for."

They settled into a silence, but it was not at all comfortable. Finally, when he couldn't take the tension any longer, Eric spoke up. "So, would you mind filling me in on how the conversation went last night after I left?"

Sookie smiled, but Eric couldn't tell whether or not that was a good thing. "Yeah, um, your manager said that she had a business matter she wanted to discuss with me, so she wrote down my cell number and address, and said she'd get back to me once she'd spoken to the three of you, again. I kinda got the impression that she wasn't sure whether or not you'd want anything more to do with me since you stormed off."

Eric laughed a little. "Yeah, that sounds like Pam alright. Well, since she wasn't sure how I'd feel, let me just go ahead and say it myself. As I'm sure you're aware, Shades of Dawn is looking for a new lead guitar. We were pretty impressed with your performance last night, and wanted to know if you'd be interested in a formal audition."

Sookie looked straight ahead for a few moments, and Eric could tell that she was thinking it over. "Why me?" she asked.

"Well, we've met with and heard a few others, but, we haven't been too impressed so far. Pam heard your band play a couple weeks ago, and said she was impressed enough to want us to hear you, as well." He certainly wasn't going to tell her at this point that Pam said she was most likely the best guitar player in the state.

Sookie looked surprised by this. He wondered if she was unaware at how talented she actually was. "No, I mean, why me, and not Bill?"

"That's the dark-haired guy who was singing last night?" She nodded. "Well, he wasn't bad. But, there was something lacking in his performance. There's probably 100 other guys out there that sound and act exactly like him, though. If you really want to make something of yourself in this business, you have to be original."

Eric watched Sookie stare out the window. After a few minutes, he finally stopped waiting for her to say something, and let his mind wander. When they were about two miles from her house, she spoke again. "Do you mind if I ask you a band-related personal question?"

"You can ask," he answered. Sookie knew that this meant he wasn't going to promise to answer.

"Turn here," she said, pointing to a small side road, before asking her question. "I've noticed in the liner notes on your albums, and also from having seen you guys perform, that you just sing, you never play, as well. But, I remember that Clancy told me that you **can** play. I'm wondering why you don't with your band?"

Eric was a little surprised by her question. This was something he'd discussed with Lafayette, Alcide and Clancy when they first started out, but, not with anyone else, since. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't feel confident enough. Yes, I can play, but, not well. So, I leave it to those who are better at it."

"But, you do realize how much more depth you can have in a song if you have two guitars, right? It can add so much more texture."

She pointed to a driveway, and he pulled in and parked next to her house. "Yeah, I know. But, if we **were** to ever a second guitar, we'd have to find someone else to play, because I really just don't have the skill."

She looked down at her hands in her lap for a moment, and then said, "Hmm. Well, to be honest, I think you're probably underestimating yourself." She opened the door and climbed out of the car, but before she closed the door again, she turned back and said, "Thanks again for the ride, Eric. I really appreciate it. I hope to hear from you again." Then she closed the door, and went inside.

Eric silently shook his head as he headed back out to the main road. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Sookie Stackhouse. He thought about what Amelia had told him in reference to Sookie's friendship with Clancy. If Clancy had a high opinion of her, then, it was probably worth it for him to try to get to know her. Plus, he had to admit, she was a damn fine musician.

Without realizing what he was doing, he drove to the band's practice studio rather than his own home. He picked up the acoustic guitar he normally played while writing, and began to strum a familiar tune. He let his mind wander back over the day, and his odd conversations with both his aunt and Sookie. He made a snap decision, and before he had time to change his mind, he picked up his cell phone, and began to dial.

By the time Sookie and Jason got a new tire on her car, and drove home, it was already dark. She was surprised to see a large manila envelope resting against the screen door on the front porch. She picked it up, and, since it had 'Sookie Stackhouse' written in large letters across the front, opened it as she and Jason went into the house. She gasped when she went through the envelopes contents.

"What is it, Sook?" Jason asked.

She couldn't speak, so she simply handed the pages to him.

_Miss Stackhouse,_

_Enclosed, please find the music for two Shades of Dawn songs. Please familiarize yourself with them, and present yourself for a formal audition tomorrow at 11am._

_Sincerely,_

_Pamela Ravenscroft_

_Bon Temps Records_

"No shit?" Jason said excitedly.

"No shit," Sookie replied.


	4. Chapter 4

_**It was brought to my attention after I posted this chapter that a few lines at the end were repeated, so, this is the corrected version. Sorry about that, and a special thanks to onefee27 for letting me know!!!!!!!**_

Sookie sat down on the couch in the living room, and began to look over the sheet music. She immediately recognized both songs, and laughed out loud. Seeing the puzzled look on Jason's face, she said, "If they thought they were gonna throw me off by having me play some difficult, obscure song, they're going to be very disappointed. The songs are 'Breath,' and 'Paper Thin Hymn.'

Jason joined her in laughing. They were both very familiar with these songs. Breath, because it was just a damn fine song. Paper Thin Hymn, however, was a different story all together. Sookie was certain that they'd picked it because, although it's not terribly difficult, it's easy to sound terrible on it. It had several runs in which you'd have to keep switching strings, and each note had to be very precise, and clean. If your last note was still ringing when you played the new one, it wouldn't sound good at all. What she found so amusing about was that Clancy had been the one to write this particular guitar part. And it just so happened that he played it for Jason and Sookie before he ever played it for the other members of his band.

Even with the knowledge of how familiar she was with the two songs, Sookie still practiced late into the night. She sat in her bedroom with her headphones on, playing the recordings of the song, and working through the fingering on her guitar. She wasn't absolutely sure that she actually **wanted** the position, but, if it went to someone else, she wanted it to be because she'd turned it down, not because she wasn't good enough.

Even though she'd been up late rehearsing, she still woke bright and early to the feeling of butterflies moving around her tummy. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this nervous about something pertaining to music. Oh wait, yes she could. It was the day that they'd played for Lorena. Sookie was fairly certain that, even if she played horribly today, no outcome could be as bad as that had been, and she felt herself relax a bit.

She wanted to make a good impression, so, she worked extra hard at finding the perfect outfit to wear to her audition. Finally, after an hour of contemplation, she finally selected an old pair of jeans that hugged her curves wonderfully, a black short-sleeved t-shirt, and her black van sneakers. She curled her hair, and then pulled it into a ponytail, and slapped on some make-up. Once she was all ready, she joined Jason in the kitchen, who was reading the morning paper while sipping some coffee.

She poured herself a mug and drank deeply. "You should probably eat something, ya know," her brother told her.

"I know, but, I don't think I can. I'd rather have an empty stomach than puke all over the place due to nerves." Jason chuckled.

"Well, you look great, so, maybe that'll make up for the vomit chunks on the floor." Sookie laughed. She could always count on Jason to cheer her up.

"Jas, what do you have planned for today?"

"Oh, I don't know. I thought about going to Home Depot to get a new faucet for the downstairs bathroom. The old one still works, but, it's so old that it just looks completely tacky. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd come to my audition with me."

Jason put his newspaper down, looked into Sookie's eyes, and smiled broadly at her. "Of course I'll come. You know I wouldn't make you do something like this alone."

Sookie put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze in a gesture of thanks, then went back to nervously sipping her coffee. Not longer afterwards, Jason went to take a shower, and before Sookie knew it, it was time to go.

She was familiar with the location of the practice studio the audition was being held at, but, had never actually been inside. She was a little surprised by how much they must've spent on setting it all up. Every piece of equipment there was practically brand new, and all of it was top of the line. She was greeted by Pam Ravenscroft when she first arrived, who led her to a small recording studio in the back of the building. Pam eyed Jason a little suspiciously at first, but didn't comment on his presence. Sookie had just taken her guitar out of its case and began tuning it when the three men who made up Shades of Dawn entered the room.

Eric walked up to her and offered his hand, which she promptly took in her own, noticing that he had the calloused fingertips of an avid guitar player. "Sookie, thanks for coming on such short notice. Let me introduce you to the rest of the guys," and he gestured for Alcide and Lafayette to join him.

"This is Lafayette Reynolds, our bass player, and this is Alcide Herveaux, our drummer."

Sookie smiled at both of them, and quickly shook their hands. Eric took a step back from her, and she noticed that his gaze had drifted to Jason. "I hope you don't mind, but, my brother came to act as moral support." She grinned somewhat sheepishly.

"Oh, no, that's no problem at all. Well, let me lay out for you how we'll do this. We thought we'd start out by having you just play along with a recording of Breath, so we can get a feel for how you play without having to concentrate on playing at the same time. Then, we'll go over Paper Thin Hymn with you, so we can see how well you flow with the rest of us. Alright?"

"Sure, no problem."

Pam, Alcide, Eric and Jason left the small room, and went into an adjoining space that was separated only by a thick pain of glass. Sookie could see Eric cueing up a recording while Lafayette showed Sookie where to plug her guitar in, and got headphones set up for her. He smiled, winked at her, and joined the others in the next room.

Through her headphones, Sookie heard Eric say, "okay, we're gonna go ahead and start the playback of Breath. Now, I realize that it'll be a little awkward at the very beginning, so, just jump in once it starts, alright?" Sookie nodded, closed her eyes, and concentrated on the music.

Once the song started, it took only a few notes before she was able to find her groove. After a few bars had gone by, she opened her eyes and made eye contact with Jason, who was smiling and nodding at her in encouragement. She saw Eric fiddling with the controls, and heard the pre-recorded guitar fade away, so the only guitar she could hear was her own. Although she felt a little awkward playing all by herself, she just let go of herself and let the notes flow through her. She could see Pam and the band members talking while they listened, but tried not to worry about what they could possibly be saying. She was sure that, if it was bad, Jason would find some way to let her know.

Once the song was over, the sound cut off completely, and Sookie stood silent in the room. She watched as Pam and Eric spoke for a moment, and then Alcide, Lafayette, and Eric walked into the room to join her, and began getting into position. Eric and Lafayette were standing fairly close to each other, directly across from Sookie. Once they were ready, they told her that Alcide would give a quick count, and they'd just dive right in to Paper Thin Hymn. She smiled a little, and caught Jason's eye as he winked at her.

Once the song began to pick up, she noticed that Lafayette was often smiling at her and nodding while he played, which she hoped was a good sign. She made the mistake of moving her gaze to look directly at Eric during the first chorus, and that's where it remained for the rest of the song. She was drawn in by how intense he was when he was singing. Some of the time, he was looking over at Lafayette or Alcide, and sometimes, he just had his eyes closed as he let the music wash over him. The few times they made eye contact, she felt like he was seeing through her, right down to her soul.

Clancy had told her a long time ago that Eric was one of those musicians that simply find themselves incapable of not being connected to a performance, and she knew now that he was completely right. She knew that every note that he sang came not only from his vocal chords, but from his heart. It was a trait that distinguished the "amazing" musicians from the "good" ones.

Once the song was over, the three men smiled at her, and told her to just relax for a few minutes while they talked things over with Pam. They left the room, and Jason came in to join her.

"How'd I do?" she asked him, her nerves suddenly feeling much more potent.

"You sounded perfect, Sook. These guys would be nuts not to offer you the position." He put his arm around her shoulder, and kissed the top of her head. They watched the four others talking through the glass, and every once in a while, someone would look in at them. The longer and longer they waited, the more anxious Sookie became. Finally, after about 10 minutes had passed, she saw Eric turn and push a button on the council in front of him, allowing for Sookie and Jason to hear him.

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, we've talked it over, and have come to a decision. The place is yours, if you want it." They were all smiling brightly at her, and Jason clapped his hands, and pulled her into a hug. Sookie, however, didn't say a word. Finally, after a moment of silence passed, she heard Eric ask, "Are you alright, Sookie?"

She took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm fine. I just, well, um….can you give me just a couple of minutes to talk to Jason and to think about it?" This took both Pam and Eric off guard, but, they both recovered quickly.

"Of course," Eric answered. "Take all the time you need."

"That was unexpected," Alcide said, as they all watched Sookie begin to talk to Jason. Lafayette leaned up against the council, and flipped a switch, while nonchalantly saying "Oops!" Suddenly, they could hear the entire conversation between Jason and Sookie.

"Jason, I just don't know if I can do this!" Sookie said.

"Sook, what do you mean? Of **course** you can do this. When a band like Shades of Dawn asks you if you want to be their newest member, you don't say no, it's as simple as that!"

Sookie set her guitar down in its case, and began to pace the floor. "But what about you and Sam?" she asked her brother.

"What do you mean, Sook? What about us what?"

"It's bad enough that asshole Bill ruined everything, I can't just up and abandon you guys. We play together, always."

"Sookie, stop. I refuse to let you throw away the best opportunity you'll ever get just because of Sam or I. We will be fine. We both know that Sam hadn't planned on making music his full-time thing. He's got other things he can fall back on, and I honestly think he was happy to get more time to himself."

"But, Jas, what about you…"

"Stop right there, Sookie Stackhouse. Listen to me very carefully. I. WILL. BE. FINE. I got my degree, remember? If I go back to school for one more semester, I could get my teachers certificate and teach music. You can't say the same. You took too much time off school to take care of Gran, and I'm not letting that ruin you."

"I'm just scared, Jason. I'm scared of whether or not I can do this without you."

"Oh my hell, Sookie, give me a damn break! We both know that you are ten times more talented than I am! And I refuse to let you turn out like that guy in The Rocker?"

The group in the other room had to hide their faces, because they were suddenly laughing, and didn't want Jason and Sookie to know that they were listening to their conversation.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sookie asked her brother in an exasperated tone.

"You remember that movie, The Rocker? Well, that guy didn't take the opportunity to make something of himself, and he was miserable because of it."

"Jason, did you even WATCH the entire movie? It has a happy ending!"

"Yeah, what, like 20 years later? Sookie, if you were worried about your integrity as a musician, that would be one thing. But, we both know that with these guys," he pointed to the band through the glass, "that's not an issue at all. They're in it for the music, not the fame. It's what you've always wanted. This is your dream. You need to grab hold and not let go."

Sookie just stood looking at her brother, then closed her eyes, and turned her head upwards. Eric felt like they were intruding on a very personal moment, so he quickly reached down and flipped the switch, and they were no longer able to hear anything said between Jason and Sookie.

After a few moments of silence, Sookie opened her eyes, and said something to Jason, who turned and looked through the window at Pam and the band. Then, Sookie began to walk towards the door, they all watched her, hoping for a definitive answer.

She stepped into the room with them, and took a deep breath before saying, "Okay, I'm in." And just like that, Shades of Dawn was whole, once again.

**A/N So, there you have it, Sookie's part of the band, now! Just to get the technical stuff out of the way, the song Breath is by Breaking Benjamin, and Paper Thin Hymn is by Anberlin. When I first began this story, I thought of Shades of Dawn as sounding like a mix between those two bands, so, the majority of their music will be songs by one or the other of them. Also, when I hear Sookie singing in my head, to me, she sounds like Hayley Williams from Paramore. I also wanted to point out that I, myself, do not play guitar. So, if I use some terminology incorrectly, I apologize. I did major in music in college, and play piano and violin though, so, hopefuly I won't be completely off base. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!! **


	5. Chapter 5

Lafayette took a brief look through the rear view mirror at his backseat passengers, and had to work hard to stifle a laugh. Eric was sitting with his head flung back, mouth wide open, and Sookie was lying down with her head cushioned on his thigh, and they were both asleep. He took a quick peek at Alcide in the passenger seat, and noted that he was sleeping as well. He couldn't blame them, though. It **had** been a very long week for them all.

The moment that Sookie had accepted the open position in Shades of Dawn, the whirlwind that is Pam went into full frenzy mode. Within two hours, there were contracts being drawn up at the record label's office in New Orleans, a short press release had been drafted, and there were many press conferences and photo shoots scheduled.

None of them really wanted to go to New Orleans, but, it was unavoidable. Lafayette suggested that they all drive down together, rather than fly, because it would give them time to get to know Sookie a little better, and "bond." He offered up his own vehicle as the 'sacrificial lamb' for the journey, because it was the only one any of them owned that could fit them all comfortably. Pam had a lot more work to do than the rest of them, so, she ended up using the company jet and flying down the day before the rest of them arrived.

On the four hour drive down, Alcide, Eric, and Lafayette took turns telling Sookie about their childhoods, and how they got started in music. They were surprised to find that Alcide and Sookie had actually known each other, briefly, several years before. Alcide's family had moved to Shreveport when he was in sixth grade, and he and Sookie had actually been in the same class for two months, before Sookie's family moved to Chicago.

Sookie told the guys all about how she and Jason had grown up friends with Bill, and had moved after her brother passed away. She had to pause for a few minutes as she cried telling them about the death of her brother. Eric had put his arm around her and tried to comfort her, and they all laughed together afterwards when he noticed that she'd left a large wet spot on the shoulder of his shirt.

When Alcide had first asked Sookie why her former band had broken up, all she would say was that they weren't getting along anymore. Lafayette wasn't buying it, though, and was bound and determined to get the truth out of her somehow. Everyone had always said that Lafayette didn't understand the meaning of "personal boundaries," and he planned on using that to his advantage. One evening, after they'd all been standing in front of a photographer for hours and hours, he took Sookie to a very nice, yet obscenely unpopular bar, and got her just tipsy enough to have the desire to spill her guts.

"So, Sookie darling, let me ask you something. What's the **real** reason your band called it quits"

"Laffy, I told you, we weren't getting along," she said, her words beginning to slur ever so slightly.

"Yes, you did. But sugar, you and I both know there's more to it, so spill!"

Sookie laughed and smacked his shoulder. "You are one nosy bitch, Lafayette!"

"Um hmm, now answer the question!"

"Okay, fine. Geez. Bill and I had been dating for a few months, and I thought we were great together. But then he brought this stupid, ugly, bitch with fake hair and fake boobs to our rehearsal one day, because she's a talent scout for Sony. She kept giving him the googoo eyes, and it upset me, so I played like shit! Bill yelled at me for it, and when I went to his place the next day to apologize to them, I caught her bouncing on his pogo stick! He told me that the whole thing was my fault, and that if I hadn't played bad he wouldn't have needed to fuck her!"

Lafayette suddenly felt bad for the way he'd approached the situation. Sure, he got the information that he wanted, but, he also understood why she hadn't told them all this. Even with her sloppy drunk, it was easy to tell how bad the situation had hurt her.

"And then, as if that weren't bad enough, I meet you guys, and you offer me a great position in your band, which I'm really excited about, but, it kinda sucks, too," Sookie continued.

"Why does it suck, sweetness?"

"Well, after what happened with Bill, I promised myself that I'd never get involved with someone I was in a band with ever again. And, as far as you and Alcide go, that's no problem, right! But, with Eric, it's a BIG fucking problem!"

"Oh really? And why is it a problem with Eric? You wanna jump his bones Sookie?"

She laughed. "Not exactly. But, I'll admit that I find him very attractive, and I like hanging out with him, and I love it when he sings. But, even if it weren't for the whole no dating guys in the band thing, I still wouldn't be able to have him."

"And why is that?"

"Because of Clancy. Clancy was Tray's best friend when they were little kids, and after Tray died, Jason and I kept in touch with Clancy. I always knew he had a crush on me, though. Well, after Jas and I moved back to Shreveport, we saw Clancy every once in a while, and he talked all about you guys, but would never introduce us to y'all. Amelia said it was because he still had a crush on me, but that I was totally the type of girl Eric would go for, and Clancy didn't want to see us together, because he'd be too jealous."

The next day, once she was sober, Sookie had begged Lafayette to not tell anyone else what she'd said. It wasn't so much that she didn't want them to know about what happened with Bill, she just wasn't ready for it to be common knowledge. He promised to keep her secret, but, told her that it would be best if she eventually told at least Eric and Alcide about why the old band broke up. She agreed that it would be for the best, and said she'd do just that in a couple of weeks.

He watched her carefully from that moment on, and noticed that she and Eric had started to form a bond. They'd both lost someone very close to them, long before they should have. They both were born to be musicians. He was glad to see the effect that Sookie's friendship was beginning to have on Eric. He'd been so torn up after Clancy had died, and Lafayette was at a loss for how to help him. Eric had been his best friend for years, and, it was a relief to see him finally starting to act like himself again.

Just before the four of them left New Orleans to head home, they'd had a final meeting with Sophie-Ann to discuss what to do with the album they'd been recording when Clancy had died.

"Unless I'm mistaken, 7 or the 8 tracks that you'd recorded were written by you, Eric, is that correct?" Sophie-Ann asked.

"Yeah, everything but 'Until the End,' I wrote." Eric answered.

"And, Clancy wrote that one, correct?" No one answered, but Lafayette silently nodded his head. "Okay then. What I would suggest we do is re-record those 7 tracks that Eric wrote, add a few new songs, and leave 'Until the End' as is, sort of like a tribute to Clancy."

Again, no one spoke. However, all eyes had turned to Eric, to see his reaction. Alcide, Lafayette and Sookie were all painfully aware that he was the only person who could make that decision. Sophie-Ann began to look agitated at the silence, and kept glancing over at her personal assistant, Andre, and rolling her eyes.

Finally, Eric spoke. "Fine. But only on one condition. I want a copy of all of the recordings with Clancy."

"Absolutely not," Sophie-Ann said. "We need to destroy them. Otherwise, they'll be all over You Tube."

"Then we don't use any of the songs, and you'll just have to wait around while I do my best to write 7 more." Sophie-Ann glared at him, knowing this was anything **but **an empty threat.

"Tell me why you want them, Eric," she said.

"I'd like to give them to Clancy's mother."

Sophie-Ann was not what anyone would call overly affectionate; however, even she could understand why this was important. "Fine. But, we only make one copy, it goes to her, and the rest are destroyed."

Eric had agreed, and it was the plan that they would begin working on recording the tracks with Sookie shortly after they returned from New Orleans.

As they finally reached Shreveport, Lafayette noticed Eric had begun to stir in the back seat. He watched in the rear view mirror as Eric realized Sookie was using him as a pillow, and he smiled gently, and began lightly stroking her hair.

Alcide was the first person to be dropped off, and he seemed to be only half awake as he grabbed his bag from the trunk of Lafayette's Mazda and made his way into the house he shared with his girlfriend, Maria Star. Once he was inside, Lafayette drove to Sookie's house next.

She still hadn't woken up, and Eric commented that she looked so peaceful while she was sleeping. So, while Eric carried her into the house, Lafayette grabbed her bag, and gave it to Jason, who seemed a little confused as to why Eric was carrying her.

Once they were back on the road, Lafayette asked Eric what he thought of Sookie.

"Well, I think she's going to make a great addition to the band. She's talented, disciplined, and she's got a lot of energy, so she's fun to watch."

"Uh huh, yeah, we already know that. But, I want to know what **you** think about **her**."

Eric laughed. "She's great, Laf. She's funny, smart, and very attractive."

"So, you gonna do anything 'bout that?"

"I can't, no matter how much I may want to. Even though she won't talk about it, I know she must've recently had her heart broken. What she needs right now is a friend, not a lover."

Lafayette hadn't seen Eric act this protective of anyone other than Clancy. He wasn't sure if, in the long run, that would be a good thing, or a bad thing.

A few days later, Eric, Sookie, Lafayette, and Pam sat at the rehearsal studio, waiting for Alcide, who was late, **again**. They were going to be working on getting the new recordings taken care of, and were anxious to get started. While they were waiting, Sookie asked if she could hear the recording of the song that Clancy had written, and Pam cued it up.

Sookie felt her eyes fill with tears as she imagined Clancy pouring over the lyrics.

_So clever, whatever, I'm done with these endeavors._

_Alone I walk the winding way. Here I stay._

_It's over, no longer, I feel it growing stronger._

_I'll live to die another day, until I fade away._

_Why give up, why give in? It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate. It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._

_Surround me, it's easy to fall apart completely._

_I feel you creeping up again, in my head._

_It's over, no longer, I feel it growing colder._

_I knew this day would come to end, so let this life begin._

_Why give up, why give in? It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate. It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._

_I've lost my way, I've lost my way,_

_But I will go on until the end._

_Living is hard enough, without you fucking up._

_Why give up, why give in? It's not enough, it never is._

_So I will go on until the end._

_We've become desolate. It's not enough, it never is._

_But I will go on until the end._

_I've lost my, I've lost my way, but I will go until the end._

_The final fight I'll win. The final fight I'll win. The final fight I'll win._

_But I will go on until the end._

Just as the final notes were playing, Alcide walked in, and immediately began talking. "Sorry I'm late guys, but I've got something you've gotta see."

He had a DVD with him, so they all followed him to the studio office, and put the DVD in the laptop.

"This segment ran on Entertainment Tonight this afternoon," he told them as it started.

Mary Hart appeared on the screen, and in the corner, was one of the new publicity photos they had taken while they were in New Orleans. "New information has come in on the newest member of the popular band 'Shades of Dawn.' Sookie Stackhouse signed contracts recently with Bon Temps records to take the place of late guitarist Clancy Crane, who died of a drug overdose while the band was in Seattle last year. The official statement from manager Pamela Ravenscroft listed that after a rigorous audition period, everyone agreed that Stackhouse was the right person for the job. But, is that because she couldn't hack it with her former band?" A picture of Sookie, Jason, Sam and Bill flashed onto the screen, and Sookie felt her heart drop into her stomach. "According to an unnamed source, Stackhouse had been a member of another band for several years, a band which also included her twin brother, Jason. However, they recently split, and had led the public to believe that they'd done so because it was 'just time.' What we're being told, however, is that the true reason they split is because Sookie's lack of ability led to the group being passed over by Sony Records. The band's front man, Bill Compton, yesterday signed a 2 album, $1.5 million contract with Sony as a solo artist."

**A/N I do not own the lyrics to Until the End by Breaking Benjamin. I don't believe they ever officially made a video for it, but, if you want to hear it, here's a link for a pretty good live performance. Just make sure to remove the spaces! http: // www. youtube. com / watch?v=5gNIcplhQpM**


	6. Chapter 6

Sookie stood frozen and silent. She was completely in shock. Her trance was broken when Pam said, "Well, it looks like I've got some work to do," and walked out of the room while punching various buttons on her blackberry.

"How'd you know they were gonna run that, Cide?" Lafayette asked Alcide.

"I didn't. I was on my way out the door to come here when Maria Star told me she had something I had to see. She'd seen a promo that there was going to be a little blurb about us on the show, so, she set up to record it on the DVR. As soon as the segment was over, she grabbed me and showed me, and I brought it straight here."

"Oh. Oh," Sookie said and began to sway on her feet. Eric immediately leapt into action and reached out with his arms just as her legs buckled underneath her. He picked her up, and walked over to chair, sitting down and holding her in his lap. She was shaking, so he slowly began to stroke her back.

They remained silent for another moment or so while Sookie tried to compose herself. She'd had her head resting in the crook of Eric's neck, when she finally sat up straight and said, "That's not exactly how it happened, you know."

"Why don't you enlighten us with the truth, then?" Alcide said, anger obvious in his voice.

"No way, hooker, don't you go getting pissed off at Sookie for this. This ain't her fault," Lafayette said.

"No, it's okay, Laffy. Alcide is right, you guys deserve to know the truth." She told them all about her relationship with Bill, his infidelity with Lorena, and the eventual decision for the band to call it quits. When she spoke of catching Bill with another woman, she felt Eric's arms tighten around her. In some corner of her mind, it reminded her of the way Jason had held her that night. It made her feel safe.

Once Sookie had finished telling them her story, Alcide said, "Sookie, listen, I'm sorry that all that happened to you, I really am. Bill sounds like a complete and utter asshole. But, with all due respect, it would've been nice to know the truth before we heard the lie on TV."

Sookie looked down at the floor in shame, but not before she saw Eric throw Alcide a look of contempt. "I should've given you the information sooner, and without provocation, I know that. But, Alcide, you need to remember that this wasn't some blown business deal. He broke my heart. Did you honest expect me to just reveal all of that to complete strangers?"

Before Alcide could answer, Pam walked back into the room. "Forget about it for now. Sophie-Ann is going to take care of it by the end of the week. We need to get started working on getting the new tracks laid out. If we don't get a single on the air soon, we're all going to be standing in line at the unemployment office together."

Sookie wasn't positive that she could just set her emotions aside and play well enough to record, but, she knew she didn't really have a choice. This was part of how her life was going to be from now on. Sometimes, she would just have to set her own personal drama aside, and do what was best for the band. She only hoped that the time it took for them to get all set up and ready in the studio would help calm her.

All of her nerves melted away as she settled into the wonderful, yet dreadfully monotonous task of recording music with the other members of the band. They all went through the song once together, so the production tech could get a feel for what they wanted to do. Then, they started at the beginning once again and went through each verse several times. They followed that up by having each individual go through the song alone, while listening to the previously made recordings, so that sound could be layered. It was tedious, and familiar. It was just what she needed at the time.

When Pam informed Alcide he would no longer be needed that day, he left, while Sookie and Lafayette stayed to observe as Eric recorded the vocal tracks with different harmonies. Sookie sat in a relaxing chair, closed her eyes, and let the sound of Eric's voice just wash over her. By the time they got to the final track, it was like listening to three Eric's singing all together at once, harmonizing with each other.

She'd heard Eric sing countless times. On the radio, on recordings that Clancy had sent her, and up close and personal during rehearsals. But, actually sitting here listening to him sing the various notes, after having heard directly from Eric himself the meaning of the song, well, it was just incredible.

Lafayette reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently, and told her that he was going to run to the fridge in the office and get something to drink, and asked if she wanted anything. She nodded her head, and he smiled and left, leaving Sookie in the room with only Pam and production tech.

The other two individuals were so quiet it was easy for Sookie to image that she was alone. She was grateful for the solitude; her life had been so crazy lately. With everything that happened with Bill, her band breaking up, then joining this new band, and being whisked away to New Orleans. It was a lot of take in. But, every time she tried to focus and figure out what everything would mean in the long run, she'd end up grinning like an idiot and thinking of Eric.

She'd never before experienced anything that felt like being with Eric. She wasn't even sure how to quantify what they had. They'd connected right from the start, there was no doubt about that. What they had was definitely more than a normal friendship, but, she wouldn't say they romantically involved, either. She felt like she'd known him her whole life, because he just _knew_ her so well. The other only people in her life she'd felt that close to were her brothers. She certainly had never felt like this with Bill.

Jason had asked her on more than occasion if there something about her closeness with Eric that she wasn't telling him. She'd always laugh and say no, but, he never really seemed to believe her. She could understand why he felt that way, though. They were just so comfortable with each other, physically, that they probably acted like a couple does. If they were sitting on the couch, she'd have her legs propped up in his lap; or, if he was sitting in a chair, quite often she'd sit on his lap. They'd even held hands as they walked through the streets of New Orleans.

They'd both tried to laugh it off when Pam had said that all the gossip columns were going to be speculating about whether or not they were dating. Sookie didn't think her life was important enough for people to care. But, with what she'd just seen, she was obviously wrong.

She was brought of her thoughts when Lafayette came in and sat back down, handing her a diet coke. "You looked like you were in your own little world, there, darlin'. What ya been thinkin'?"

She smiled and took a sip before replying, "I'm still trying to get a handle on everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks. I feel like a tornado landed and tossed everything in my life around, and I'm not so sure I know which way is up anymore!"

He looked at her with an extremely serious expression on his face. "Yes, well, I guess I need to apologize to you for that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I should've warned you that when I enter a person's life, everything tends to get shaken up!"

She smiled and laughed, and playfully smacked him. They heard the music cut off, and saw Pam walk into the studio to speak with Eric. A moment later, the two of them joined Lafayette and Sookie again. Pam said she'd talk to Sophie-Ann and call them with more information, and left.

"You guys wanna go get something to eat?" Eric asked Lafayette and Sookie.

"Hell yes, I'm starving!" Sookie answered, a huge smile taking over her features. Lafayette couldn't help but notice the way Sookie's smile was always a little brighter when it was directed at Eric. He knew that they both had very good reasons for keeping things in the "friend zone," but, he was also well aware that they were very attracted to each other, and were more than likely perfect for one another. He wanted to work on them a little and see if he could make something happen, but, he had too much respect for them to try. Well, for now, anyway.

Since it didn't make sense for them to take three separate cars, they spent a few minutes discussing who'd drive. Eric's Corvette had no backseat, so his car was definitely out. Eric said she'd be more than happy to drive, but, then rolled her eyes and said "never mind," once she saw Eric and Lafayette's expressions. She knew they didn't think much of her old, clunky car. So, they once again crawled into Lafayette's Mazda, and hit the road.

For some odd reason, Eric decided he had a major craving for pancakes, so, they headed towards the local IHOP. It didn't escape Lafayette's notice that, although Eric was seated in the backseat alone, his hand virtually never left the back of Sookie's seat. They weren't touching, but, they never really allowed themselves to be far from physical contact.

Once they were seated and had placed their orders, they chatted about the many different ways Sophie-Ann could possibly handle the ET segment they'd seen. Sookie told them both that she was surprised by the segment, obviously, but most especially because the whole thing just seemed so uncharacteristic of Bill. He'd never liked to air his dirty laundry in public. She couldn't imagine him telling someone the reason the band had broken up, because he liked to keep his life as private as possible.

Throughout the meal, Eric had began to notice several people making calls on their cell phones after having seen them, and figured they were all letting their friends know they were sitting in a restaurant with someone famous. He was irritated to see a few photographers milling around just outside the front doors. He pointed them out to Lafayette, and they decided it would be best to leave as soon as possible.

They paid their bill, and Lafayette went to pull the car up to the door while Sookie ducked into the restroom. When she came out, Eric put his arm around her shoulder, and whispered some instructions to her.

"The press is out there, and I'm sure they're going to ask lots of questions about the segment on ET. Don't say **anything**. Just stay quiet, and I'll get you into the car as quickly as I can, okay?"

She looked him square in the eye, and nodded, but he could tell she was very nervous. He held her face in his hands, smiled at her, and said, "Sookie, you'll be fine. I'm right here, you won't be alone." He quickly kissed her forehead, and they then led her towards the door.

Just as he predicted, the moment the door was opened, several cameras were thrust in her face, and all sorts of voices were asking for a comment about Bill. Eric pushed passed them as best he could, and said, "**No comment**," very forcefully, until they were both seated in the backseat of Lafayette's car.

Lafayette drove as quickly as he could back to the studio, so they could pick up their cars. Sookie was visibly shaken, and Eric was rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.

After making sure she was calm enough to drive herself home, Eric stood and watched her drive away. He was filled with many emotions. He was pleased with the progress they'd made while recording, but, it was being pushed aside by his feelings of anger about the ordeal with the press. He wasn't sure how he felt about what he'd heard about Sookie and Bill.

He hadn't thought his opinion of Bill could be any lower, but he'd been proven wrong. He'd actually had the audacity to tell Sookie it was her fault that he'd cheated on her, simply because she was affected by seeing another woman throw herself at her boyfriend. He didn't understand how anyone could be so callous towards someone they claimed to care for. If Sookie were his, he'd never treat her so poorly.

He wondered if someone had once hurt Bill that way. In his experience, the majority of the time someone mistreated a lover, it was because they'd been mistreated in the past. He had just reached his car, and was moving to unlock the door, when inspiration hit. He ran back inside the studio, grabbed a notepad and pencil, and sat down at the piano, letting the words flow, thinking about how Bill had treated Sookie. He laughed a little as he thought about writing a song about a man breaking his heart, imaging what Lafayette would say. With that in mind, he worded it for his own gender.

_Do you memorize theatrical lines that seem to lead them in?_

_Play the role with the good girl heart, on the tangled web within._

_Who was I that lead you on, that made you want to hurt me so?_

_Who do you want to forget who's forgot you long ago?_

_Do you still feel it, calling in the air tonight?_

_Do you still feel it? Seems like you've done this before._

_You make breaking hearts look so easy. You've got breaking hearts all but down._

_And you've done this, you've done this before._

_You make stealing hearts look so easy. Where is the girl I adore?_

_You've got breaking up all but down. I can't love a thief anymore._

_Do you collect the souls you've lost in the top of your dresser drawer?_

_Count the number of tears displaced on lonely bedroom floors._

_Where the shape of your heart once was slowly takes the place of you,_

_Will they hold the memories now, of the love I thought I knew?_

_Do you still feel it, calling in the air tonight?_

_Do you still feel it? Seems like you've done this before._

_You make breaking hearts look so easy, seems like you've done this before._

_You've got breaking up all but down, and you've done this, you've done this before._

_You make stealing hearts look so easy, where is the girl I adore?_

_You've got breaking up all but down, and I can't love a thief anymore._

_The most you could hope to be is now just a bitter sweet memory._

_You make breaking hearts look so easy._

Once he was finished, he took a few moments and read back over the lines, picturing Sookie in his head. He remembered the despair on her face when she spoke of finding Bill with another woman. He promised himself there and then, he'd never allow anyone to hurt her like that ever again.

**A/N I obviously do not own the characters, or the song 'Breaking,' by Anberlin, although I do listen to it on my ipod quite often. If you'd like to hear it, you can do so at ****http: // www . youtube . com/ watch?v =UkCQck0D0qg & feature=related Just remember to remove the spaces! Review and let me know what you think!!!!!!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Eric had just locked the door to the studio, and was walking to his car when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, and saw that Sookie was calling.

"Hello?"

"Eric, I need you, I don't know what to do!" She sounded frantic.

"Sookie, what is it? What's wrong?"

"When I got home, there were reporters all over the place. I couldn't even turn into my driveway because there were so many of them! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

He jumped into his car, started the engine, and began driving as quickly as he safely could. "Fuck! They're probably at my place, too then." He concentrated, trying to come up with a plan. "Okay, here's what I want you to do. Can you tell if you're being followed?"

"I think I am, but I'm not sure."

"Okay. Are you familiar with the Mimosa Lake area?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Amelia's got a cabin up there."

"I know, I've been there before."

"Perfect! My friend Kevin is a cop, so I'll call him and have him wait at the gate to the property. That way, no one but you or I will be able to get even close to the actual cabin. It's all private property and there's a big 'No Trespassing' sign. Meet me up there, and we'll spend the night hiding out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you remember how to get there?"

"Yeah, I do. It should only take me about 15 minutes to get there."

"I'll call Kevin, and I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

After he ended the call, he dialed Kevin's number, and explained the situation. Kevin immediately agreed, and said that he could be at the property line in 10 minutes. Eric did a quick mental check of what Amelia usually kept at the cabin, and determined that the only thing they'd need that wasn't already there was alcohol. He made a quick stop at the liquor store, then made his way to the cabin.

He knew that any reporters following Sookie would be watching for anyone else to join her, so, he took the back way in, knowing that way it would look like she'd been there by herself all night. When he finally pulled up to the cabin 30 minutes later, Sookie was sitting on the front porch steps, her face buried in her hands. He got out of his car and strode towards her, and it wasn't long before she jumped up and threw herself into his arms, openly crying. He held her, and stroked her back, and gave her a minute to compose herself.

When he finally felt her pull back, he looked down into her eyes, and his heart broke a little for her, she looked so miserable. "I can't believe this is happening. This is such a nightmare," she wailed.

"Sook, it's gonna be alright. I know it's hard right now, but trust me; this will all blow over very soon. If Sophie-Ann says she'll take care of it, she most certainly will. She may not be my most favorite person, but, once she gives her word, she keeps it."

Sookie removed herself from Eric's embrace, and began walking up the stairs to the front door of the cabin. While she was waiting for him to unlock the door, she said, "Isn't having my heart broken bad enough? Why does it all have to be done for the whole world to see?"

Eric opened the door, and as he walked in behind her, he asked, "Sookie, you really cared for him a lot, didn't you?"

"I was in love with him. I'm only grateful at this point that I never actually told **him** that." She snorted a little, and Eric couldn't help but grin.

He groped around on the wall for a moment until he found the light switch, and they both blinked rapidly as the room was suddenly bathed in a ghastly fluorescent glow.

"Sorry, I know it's not the nicest place to hide out, but, it's the only place I could think of that offered guaranteed privacy."

She put her hand on his arm, and stroked it lightly. "No, Eric, it's perfect. Right now, anywhere that is photographer and Bill free is heaven to me."

Eric went into the small kitchen area to put the food in the refrigerator, while Sookie reacquainted herself with the rest of the cabin. It wasn't large, and everything was more or less in one big room. There was a half-wall partition that separated the sleeping area from the living area, but other than that, the only room that wasn't completely visible at all times was the bathroom. She was glad to see a box of tissues on the counter in the bathroom, and grabbed a few to blot her eyes and blow her nose.

"Do you want something to drink?" Eric called to her from the kitchen.

"That depends. What's the hardest thing we've got?"

Eric laughed. "Well, I brought whiskey and bourbon."

"Ooh, Jimmy and Jack, my two favorite men!" Sookie said as she joined Eric in the kitchen, and was pleasantly surprised to find some Diet Coke in the fridge. She opened a few cupboards until she'd found some glasses, pulled two out, took some ice from the freezer, and added a mixture of the soda and whiskey to each glass. She and Eric took their drinks and went to sit on a couch that was pushed against one of the walls.

"So," Eric began after taking a long drink, "Tell me what it was about Bill that made you fall in love with him."

Sookie choked on her drink and coughed a little. When she was finally able to speak again, she asked, "Why do you want to hear about that? I thought you were going to help me try to forget the whole thing?"

"I am helping. Now stop avoiding the question."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, and settled back into a comfortable position, pulling her feet up underneath her. "Well, although he wasn't the most talented musician ever, it was obvious that he was really passionate about it. We'd sit together for hours listening to old albums, just holding each other, talking about what different songs meant to us."

"Okay. What else?"

She smiled, and laughed a little, "Well, he wasn't bad in bed."

"More information than I needed, but okay. What else?"

Sookie sat silent for a few moments while she thought. She just simply couldn't think of anything about Bill that truly made her love him. "I honestly don't know. Maybe I was never really in love with Bill, but, in love with the thought of being in love with Bill."

"Wow, you know, that's pretty damn deep for someone sucking on Jack and coke."

She laughed with him. "Jason and I used to hang out with him a lot when we were little kids. His family had a lot more money than ours did, and it was always extremely obvious. He talked about him being rich while we were almost poor all the time, but, he didn't treat us differently, or look down on us because of it. It was just part of who we were. It was almost as simple a fact as Jason and I have blue eyes, but Bill's eyes are brown." She paused to take a sip of her drink, and Eric thought he saw pain flicker across her face for a moment. "But, then after Tray died, we moved, and we didn't keep in touch with him. Really, besides relatives, the only person we kept up with down here was Clancy. After Jas and I graduated high school, we moved back down and went to LSU Shreveport, and we ran into Bill one day.

"The friendship just fell back into place as if it hadn't been years since we'd seen each other. You know, I never really found myself attracted to Bill, or, having a crush on him or anything like that. It was just a nice, easy friendship. Then, one night, we'd just finished a gig, and had a few drinks. We ended up having sex, and suddenly, we were together. I think that's something that I've always wanted, though. "

"What do you mean? Suddenly falling into a relationship with someone you weren't previously attracted to?" Eric asked sarcastically.

"No," she said while playfully slapping his arm. "I didn't really date much in high school, and, even if I had, I wouldn't have gotten much advice from my mom. She's never really gotten over Tray's death. But, when Jason and I moved back down here, Gran used to talk to me about stuff like that. I remember she told me once that the strongest relationships are always built on a foundation of friendship. She said that physical attraction and intimacy were important, but, that you had to be friends more than anything else. I guess I always figured I would marry my best friend. Which, now that I think about it, is kinda gross, since, Jason's been my best friend my whole life!"

They laughed together again. "So, besides the sex, was there anything that he brought to your relationship that he hadn't shown you when you were just friends?"

Sookie took another drink and thought about his question for a moment. "You know what, really the only thing that changed, besides the sex obviously, was that he was suddenly very possessive of me. Jason was the only person I could hang out with and not have Bill get jealous."

Sookie excused herself for a moment to make use of the bathroom, and Eric let his mind replay everything he'd known about the relationship between Sookie and Bill. He had come to a conclusion that he was fairly certain described their relationship perfectly. But, he wasn't sure how to tell Sookie without hurting her, which was absolutely the last thing he wanted to do. When she returned, he'd come to a decision.

"Sook, I'm gonna be honest with ya and tell you what I think, but, I need you to understand that it may be painful. I don't want you to hurt anymore, because you've already been through enough. But, I also think that this may help you to move on." Her eyes grew a little wider, but she motioned for him to continue. "It sounds like Bill decided he wanted to have his cake and eat it, too. The two of you had a great friendship, but he wanted you because he was physically attracted to you. But, then again, what heterosexual male **wouldn't** be?" He smiled as he saw her blush. "He wanted you for himself, but, he didn't want to belong to you in the same way he wanted you to belong to him."

"Eric, are you saying that he was just using me the entire time? That he was only with me for the sex?"

"No. He wanted and most likely enjoyed the sex, but, he enjoyed the friendship as well. He just didn't want to be held accountable for his actions, while holding you accountable for yours."

"He wanted loyalty from me, he just didn't want to reciprocate, in other words."

"Right."

She stayed silent for a few minutes, and Eric could tell that she was thinking over his words. He'd noted that her glass was empty, and when she said no at his offer for another, he took the glasses to the kitchen to rinse them out. He made use the bathroom, and was surprised to find Sookie completely asleep on the couch when he came back out. He very carefully bent down and picked her up, trying not to wake her. He laid her down on the large queen sized bed, and pulled her socks and shoes off of her feet. He removed his own footwear, and took his shirt off, before lying next to her. It wasn't long until he was asleep as well.

He awoke several hours later to the faint sound of a guitar. He took a moment to gain his bearings and remember why he was where he was, and then sat up. Sookie was sitting on the couch, and she was playing something on an acoustic guitar, which he assumed had been in her car. She'd stop every few notes and write something down, and he figured she was writing a song. He stood, decided against putting his shirt back on, and went to see what she was up to. She was practically beaming at him when he asked her what she was working on, although he did notice that she allowed her eyes to roam over the vast expanse of his naked chest.

"Well, I guess that while I was sleeping, my subconscious was deciding what to do about the whole Bill situation. When I woke up, I just immediately knew that I was done being sad and heartbroken over him, and was ready to move into full-on 'this-bitch-wants-revenge' mode!" Eric laughed, and she handed him the notebook she'd been writing in.

He read through the lyrics she'd written, and noticed that she'd included chords, forming a melody of sorts. He was tried to let it play in his mind, so he could get a feel for what she was aiming for. A few minutes later, he smiled brightly at her, told her it was time to leave, and immediately began packing everything up. She was a little surprised, but, did what he asked her to do. As they went to leave in their separate cars, he told her to meet him back at the studio, and to have Jason be there as well.

_**ONE WEEK LATER**_

Pam paced back and forth in front of a television monitor. The past week had been one of the busiest she'd had in a very long time. She'd been working furiously with Sophie-Ann's assistant, Andre, to come up with a way to get out of under the backlash of that terrible story about Sookie on Entertainment Tonight. Eric had phoned her and told her that he believed he had the solution, and that she needed to meet the band at the studio right away, so she quickly joined them.

The moment she arrived, she could tell by the energy in the air that something monumental had happened. Eric told her all about how he and Sookie had needed to spend the night at a cabin because the press had been camped out on Sookie's front lawn. He told her that Sookie had written a song while they were there that night, and that the next morning, Alcide, Lafayette, and Sookie's brother Jason had met with them, and together, the five of them took Sookie's lyrics and melody, and worked it into something great. They played the song for her, and before it was even over, she was on the phone with Andre, telling him that Sophie-Ann needed to get her ass to Shreveport right away.

A few hours and phone calls later, Shades of Dawn was scheduled to perform the first single from their upcoming album on The Ellen DeGeneres show, where Eric would also be doing his first interview since Clancy's death. Pam stopped pacing and stood still as a statue as the monitor showed that the show was coming back from a commercial break. Having been introduced shortly before the break, Eric was now sitting on a chair next to Ellen, and Pam realized that he looked happier than she'd seen him in months.

"So, we're back with Eric Northman, lead singer of Shades of Dawn," Ellen said. "Now, Eric, there's been a lot of press lately about the fact that the band had filled the lead guitar spot."

"Yeah, it's been a little crazy for the past few weeks," Eric answered. "We knew that we needed to fill the spot, but at the same time, it was very difficult, because it made us remember why there was an open spot."

Ellen nodded, and patted Eric's hand sympathetically. "How did you come to decide that Sookie Stackhouse would be the best fit?"

He smiled and laughed a little, causing Pam to roll her eyes. He sure knew how to play to his audience. "We heard several very talented musicians play, but, they just didn't seem right for one reason or another. Our manager took us to this little out of the way bar one night, and said that there was a band playing that had decided to call it quits, so this would be their final performance. Obviously, this was the first time we heard Sookie play, and, we were all just blown away by her. Not only did she have massive amounts of talent, but, her whole demeanor just incredible. We arranged for her to come in for a formal audition, and, we just knew it, she was the right person for the job."

"There's been some speculation as to the reason her former band split. Do you want to address that at all?"

"You know what, I do. Normally,we don't really like to talk about our own personal lives with the media, but, I think that it's time for the truth to be heard. It had been said that the band broke up because Sookie played terribly at an audition, causing the band to be passed over by a record label. Technically, that happened. A talent scout for Sony listened to them, and didn't sign them. On that specific day, Sookie admits she didn't play well. But, honestly, what musician can say that they've never had a bad day. It happens to the best of us. However, what hasn't really been made known is that this particular Sony employee was only authorized to sign solo artists. So, regardless of how anyone played, they wouldn't have been signed. Bill Compton, who had been the band's front man, was in a relationship with Sookie at the time. However, he was caught cheating with that same Sony employee. His infidelity, and the other band members desire to cut their ties with him, is the real reason they split."

"Wow. Since one of the two other members in that band was Sookie's twin brother, Jason, I can definitely understand why he wouldn't want to work with Bill anymore," Ellen said.

"Yeah. But, honestly, as far as I'm concerned, his loss is our gain. Not only do we now have the pleasure of working with Sookie, but, a couple of days ago, we made the decision to expand things within our group as well. We'd been talking for quite some time about adding another guitar to the mix, and, we decided that now, while we were reorganizing anyway, was the time to do it. Lucky for us, Sookie's brother Jason, who played drums in their previous band, is just as good at guitar as she is. So, now he's with us, as well."

"Tell me about the song you're going to be playing for us."

"Well, Sookie actually wrote the lyrics and melody, but, the finished product was a huge collaboration between everyone. When we all played it together for the first time, everything just clicked. It was one of those moments that all musicians hope for."

After another short commercial break, the show returned, and the band was set-up center stage. Ellen briefly introduced the song. "Here to play their new single, 'I Don't Think I Love You,' please welcome Shades of Dawn!" The crowd applauded wildly as the music started.

_I wonder what you'll take from me today_

_My sanity or just my breath away, it's hard to say._

_Impossible for me to tell, while always walking on eggshells,_

_Who you're going to be from day to day, today._

_I wish that we could go back to what we were before,_

_But I don't think that I love you anymore, anymore_

_Wonder why it is that you don't see, _

_What you've changed since we first met, and how much it is killing me._

_I know that I will always miss the butterflies of our first kiss,_

_And how you used to smile so easily._

_I wish that we could go back to what we were before,_

_But I don't think that I love you anymore, anymore._

_It's too hard to keep pretending, it's too hard to ignore._

_But I don't think that I love you anymore, anymore._

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry; I never thought that it would come to this._

_I know we'll never get back to how we were before,_

_Cuz I know that I don't love you anymore._

_It's too hard to keep pretending, it's too hard to ignore._

_But I know that I don't love you anymore, anymore._

Back in Shreveport, Amelia turned her television off, wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned to look at a picture of her son. "Oh, Clancy. I wish you were her. You'd be so proud of them!"

**A/N I can't take credit for the wonderful song. I's 'I Don't Think I Love You. If you'd like to hear it, use this link, but remove the spaces!!!**

http: // www . youtube . com/watch?v = 1xO4lVBlDKE


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh, hell no! There is absolutely no way I would be caught dead wearing that in public," Sookie said to Lafayette, who was holding up a barely there red halter top covered with sequins.

"Hey, you said you wanted something sexy, right?"

"Yes, I did, and I do. But that monstrosity has definitely crossed the line from sexy into slutty."

Lafayette laughed, and reluctantly put the top back on the rack. This was the fifth store they'd been to, and were no closer to finding an outfit for Sookie to wear for the release party for their new CD. "I'm starting to think this may be a hopeless cause, Laffy. Everything is either too slutty, or too conservative. Is there seriously no happy medium anymore?"

"Oh, hush up, darling. If we can't find anything here today, then, we'll just have to go shopping in New Orleans before the party."

"How would we have time for that? We're driving down in the morning, meeting with Sophie-Ann at 1pm, and the party starts at 9pm. Isn't that kinda pushing it?"

"It'll be a little tight, but, we'll manage."

Sookie looked at a couple more racks, before growling in exasperation. "I give up. I'm not going to find what I'm looking for here. And besides, we're supposed to be meeting everybody for lunch in half an hour, so, we need to get moving."

Lafayette nodded, and they began to walk from the store back into the main area of the mall. They'd been there several hours, and Sookie was definitely ready to leave. She'd never had a shopping trip be this unsuccessful before, and she was beyond frustrated. Just as they were beginning to turn a corner to head for the exit, Sookie heard a familiar voice call her name, and she froze. She reached out and grabbed Lafayette's hand in hers as she turned in the direction of the voice.

"Bill. What do you want?"

"What, no, hello, how are you? Are we really going to be uncivil towards one another now?" Bill asked. Sookie's eyes widened as she took in his appearance. He was dressed in a pair of brown trousers, with a plaid button-up shirt that was buttoned all the way to the collar. His hair was slicked back as well. He looked like a complete nerd. That's when Sookie noticed Lorena standing a few feet behind him glaring at them all.

"Oh, silly me, I thought you made that plain when you told Entertainment Tonight that our band had broken up because I ruined your chance at fame." She felt Lafayette squeeze her hand, and saw him smiling out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes, well, that was an unfortunate event. Stupid publicist didn't know she wasn't supposed to tell anyone that. She was fired immediately afterwards. You know I don't like to air out my dirty laundry for all to see."

"Of course not, but throwing me under a bus, that's just fine, right?"

Lorena moved to stand next to Bill, took his hand, and tried to pull him away. "Come along, William. These people are beneath you, and you don't need to associate with them."

Lafayette snorted. "**We're** beneath **him**? Is that why our first single debuted at No. 1 on the charts, and pretty boy's over there only got as high as 20, and that's AFTER three different producers worked it so much it didn't even sound like him anymore?"

The look on Bill's face changed from slightly amused, to stone cold anger. However, Lorena tried to pull him away again, and this time he followed. After watching them retreat for a moment, Sookie and Lafayette turned to leave, and Lafayette heard Sookie mumble, "Asshole," under her breath.

Once they were in Lafayette's car and on the road, he asked, "Wanna talk about it?"

She turned her head the opposite direction to look out the window, and muttered, "No." They drove the rest of the way in silence. They weren't at all surprised to see that they were the last to arrive for lunch, and quickly sat down and looked at their menus. Alcide, Maria Star, Jason and Eric were chatting while waiting for their water.

Once Sookie had decided what she wanted to order, she put her menu down, and began to pay attention to her friends. She noticed that Maria Star was practically glowing sitting next to Alcide, and Sookie figured he'd finally proposed. He'd had a ring for a while now, but he just kept chickening out. She was glad to see them so happy together. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Jason roll his eyes at how they were acting. He never was much of a fan of public displays of affection; well, not unless they included him, anyway.

The waiter came along and took everyone's order, and she felt Eric's hard glare when he heard her order a gin and tonic. "What?" She said, obviously aggravated. "I've had a bad day. We were shopping for hours and I still haven't found anything to wear to the party."

"Well, that, and the fact that we ran into Bill at the mall," Lafayette said, and suddenly everyone's attention was focused on Sookie.

"It's fine, it was nothing, and I don't want to talk about it, so drop it," she said.

They moved to a new topic of conversation, but, Sookie could tell by the look on his face that Eric would be returning to the subject later. Once their food had arrived, they discussed the details of driving to New Orleans the next day, figuring out who was going to drive, and what time they would need to leave. When it was all said and done, it was decided that Lafayette, Jason, Alcide and Maria Starr would take Alcide's truck, and Sookie and Eric would take the corvette.

After they'd paid their bill and made their way back to the parking lot, Eric noticed Sookie was moving somewhat slowly. When he asked her about it, she just said that her feet hurt from walking around the mall for so long.

"Well climb on then," he told her with a broad smile on his face. Jason just laughed and shook his head as he watched Sookie stand behind Eric, jump up and wrap her arms around his neck, and he hooked his arms around her legs. It wasn't every day you saw a 6'5" man giving an adult woman a piggy-back ride.

Eric walked Sookie over to Lafayette's car, and set her down. "You seriously didn't find anything you liked at the mall?" He asked.

"Nope. Everything was either extremely slutty, or looked like something Pam would wear!" They both laughed, as did Alcide and Maria Star, who were getting into Alcide's truck two stalls away.

"Well, I know of a couple of stores in New Orleans not far from Sophie-Ann's office, so, we can go and get you something there after the meeting."

"Just as long as it isn't a store that Dawn shopped at," Maria Star added. "Sookie's already made it obvious that she DOESN'T want to look like a slut." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she looked like she immediately regretted saying them. Eric and Alcide each gave her a sharp look, and Sookie felt the tension in the air ratchet up to fever pitch. But, before she could ask Eric who Dawn was, he hugged her, told her he'd see her in the morning, and walked back to his own car, where Jason was waiting for him. They had ridden over from the studio together, and Eric needed to take Jason to pick up his own car again.

The two of them got into Eric's car, and Eric gripped the steering wheel hard in his hands. "What bit your ass?" Jason asked.

"Oh, Maria Star just accidentally brought up a very bad mistake I made in the past, and I'm pissed because I haven't had the chance to talk to Sookie about it, yet."

Jason raised an eyebrow and shot Eric a skeptical look, before shrugging and dropping the subject. He hadn't had the chance to get to know Eric as well as the others, yet, but, he knew that he wouldn't talk about something until he was good and ready. So, he decided to take on another subject. "So, give it to me straight. What the hell is up with you and my sister?"

Eric smiled and shook his head; he'd been wondering when Jason was going to ask him that. "Nothing's going on between us, Jas. We're just friends."

"Eh, I ain't buying it, man. I've never seen her as affectionate with someone before, not even with the asshole (as Jason had recently been referring to Bill). I haven't seen her this happy in a real long time."

Eric's smile widened. "Well, I'm thrilled that she's happy. But really, there's nothing going on. I can't really explain why it just seems so natural to be openly physical with her, it just does. I mean, yeah, I think she's hot as fuck, but, I don't plan on doing anything about it. I know that Clancy really liked her, and, out of respect for him, I won't go there. Besides, she doesn't want to date anyone she's in a band with."

"Yeah, I know. After what happened with the asshole, I can't say I blame her. I understand why she set that rule, but, I don't think she did it for the right reason. If she was doing it to protect her own heart, that'd be one thing. But, she's doing it for the sake of the band, the music. Personally, I'd rather her find love and be happy than be in a good band."

"I know what you mean. Out of curiosity, why didn't you ask **her** about us?"

Jason smiled and laughed. "Sook and me, we're tight. We have a running joke that we've been best friends since the womb. But, for some reason, she's just never felt comfortable talking to me about her love life. Hell, she hid her relationship with Bill from me for weeks. I don't know, maybe it's just because she thinks if she tells me about her love life, I'll feel obligated to tell her about mine, which she just doesn't want to hear about." Eric looked confused for a moment, and Jason said, "She thinks I'm a manwhore." They both laughed, and shortly afterwards, parted company.

At 8am sharp the next morning, Eric was throwing Sookie's duffle bag into the trunk of his car while she lethargically got into the passenger seat. Once they pulled away from the home Sookie and Jason shared, their first stop was Starbucks. About 45 minutes later, when she was finally feeling coherent enough to carry on a conversation, Sookie turned as best she could in her seat to face Eric. "Who's Dawn?" she asked.

Eric looked annoyed, but, Sookie could tell that he was annoyed by the person they were speaking of, not the fact that Sookie had brought the subject up. "Dawn is my ex." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sookie make a gesture encouraging him to continue, and he released a long sigh. "Clancy had just joined the band when I met her at a bar in New Orleans. We hung out together for a while that first night, and ended up sleeping together. Afterwards, I figured it would just be a one night stand, since she lived so far away, and hadn't planned on seeing her again. But, I bumped into her a week or so later at the gas station. We hung out a few times, and it morphed into a kind of friends with benefits situation. She kept dropping hints that she wanted more out of the relationship, but, I was so busy with the band, that I didn't really have the time for it.

"Clancy, Lafayette, Alcide and Maria Star all hated her. She kinda treated them like something she'd stepped in when I wasn't around. I started to wonder if she wasn't just interested in having a famous rock star boyfriend. We were scheduled to play a club in Baton Rouge, and she decided to tag along. After our set had ended, I was looking around for her, and found her before she saw me. When I approached her, I overheard her talking to some gossip rag reporter, and she told the guy that we were seriously committed, and that I'd even named the band after her. That night, I told her I didn't want anything to do with her, and I haven't spoken to her since."

Sookie took a moment to let the information settle in before she spoke again. "Okay, so, I'm assuming you didn'tname the band after her?"

Eric let out a harsh laugh which contained no humor. "We'd already come up with the name before she and I even met. A friend of Lafayette's was a really good photographer, and she was having her very first solo show, so we went to support her. There was this really beautiful picture of a sunrise over a river. There were so many brilliant rays of lights, and they were all reflected in the water. Although each and every one of them was orange, none of them were actually the **same** color. The title of the photograph was Shades of Dawn, and we liked it so much, it just stuck."

"Wow. But, then, why did everybody totally freak out when Maria Star mentioned her last night?"

"It's a bit of a tense subject. Since we all started playing together, there's only been one time when we were ready to call it quits. Dawn was the cause of that fight."

Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw the shocked look on Sookie's face. "You're gonna have to give me the whole story here, Eric. I honestly can't imagine anything getting you guys mad enough at each other that you were willing to walk away."

"Well, when it all comes right on down to it, she told me that Alcide had threatened to kick the shit out of her. I went and asked him if he'd threatened her, and he said he had. I told him I was done. Thankfully, Amelia decided to play peacemaker, and, she talked to Alcide, and found out that he'd actually threatened to tell me that he'd caught her making out with another guy. So, when I asked if he'd threatened her, he wasn't lying when he'd said yes, we just didn't communicate well enough to each other what the threat was. So, the next time I saw her, I told her I never wanted to see her again, because she intentionally set out to put a wedge between Alcide and I."

Sookie reached over and placed her hand on his knee, and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry that someone you cared about did that to you."

"So am I," Eric answered. They continued to drive in silence, and Eric laughed a little when he looked over about 30 minutes later to see that Sookie had fallen asleep. '_So much for that big espresso she downed!'_ he thought.

Just as they were pulling into the parking garage at the building for Bon Temps Records, Sookie woke, smiled a little at Eric, and stretched her arms. "Thanks for letting me sleep. You could've woke me up though, if you wanted company."

"Nah, it's all good. You were snoring, so, it was nice background music."

She playfully smacked him as he pulled into a stall, and they went into the building together. Not long afterwards, Eric, Sookie, Jason, Lafayette, Alcide and Pam were ushered into a conference room by Sophie-Ann's assistant, Andre, where Sophie-Ann herself joined them a few minutes later.

"Alright everyone, I'm going to try to keep this brief. I'm sure you all would like a chance to rest and regroup before the party tonight, so, we're going to try to get you out of here as soon as possible." Andre gave them each a list of cities with dates next to each. "Mainly, we just need to finalize your touring schedule. We've already signed a contract for you to participate in the Freddie Mercury charity benefit in LA, so, I think that it would just work best if we use that to really kick off the tour." She waited for a moment to make sure there were no objections, and continued. "Go ahead and take a look, and let me know if there's anything you know of right away that you'd like to change."

They all took a few moments to look over the long list. They were planning on taking three months and more or less going coast to coast throughout the US. Jason was the first to speak. "Is there any way we could switch the dates for Milwaukee and Chicago? The date you've got us in Milwaukee is the day before our Mom's birthday. Our parents live in Chicago, so, it would be nice to try and see her around that time." Sookie smiled nodded enthusiastically.

Sophie-Ann took a moment to look at the list, a calendar, and a map, before nodding, and saying it wouldn't be a problem. They all went back to looking over the list, and no one seemed to have any objections. That is, until Eric saw the final city on the tour list.

"Sophie-Ann," he said, anger obvious in his voice, "There is no way in hell I'm performing in Seattle."

Sophie-Ann rolled her eyes, and replied, "Eric, I understand that it's a sore subject for you. And, I'm sorry about that. But you can't just ignore your fans in Seattle. Your album sales and downloads have been off the charts there."

"I don't fucking care! I'm not doing it."

"Eric, please be reasonable."

"I said **NO**, damnit!" He slammed his fist on the table, and stormed out of the room, leaving the rest of them looking stunned. After a moment, Lafayette began to stand, but Sookie, who was seated next to him, put her hand on his and shook her head.

"I'll go talk to him."

Once she left the conference room, she looked both ways down the hallway, trying to figure out which way Eric must've gone. The receptionist cleared her throat to get Sookie's attention, and pointed towards the door to the terrace. Sookie smiled at her, and headed in that direction. When she pushed open the door that led outside, she saw Eric leaning against the railing, looking out over the city. He turned his head slightly when he heard her approaching him.

"I just can't do it, Sook."

She stood next to him, and covered his hands with her own. "Eric, I know it's hard."

He pulled his hands away from hers, stood up straight, glared down at her, and yelled, "No, you don't! You don't understand! When I walked into that room, and found him like that. You can't know how horrible that felt!"

She took his anger in stride, and spoke just as calmly as she had before. "Eric, you're right, I can't understand how hard it was for you to find Clancy dead. But, I **can** understand how hard it is for you to go back to the city it happened in. When my parents knew that Tray's time was almost up, they brought him home, so he could be there when it was all over. They brought Jason and I into the room to say goodbye to him. Eric, I was holding my little brother's hand when his heart stopped beating." She paused for a moment, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "After that, I couldn't bring myself to enter that room until the day we moved. But, I did go in, and it helped. It reminded me what that room **really** was. It was the room where we'd played together, where I'd read books to him. It wasn't just the room my brother had died in. It was the room he'd **lived** in."

They stood in silence for a moment, before Eric's shoulders slumped, and he nodded at her. She stood on tip-toe, placed her hands on his cheeks, and pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. "Come on, we need to get back inside."

The tension in the air was obvious when they rejoined everyone else in the conference room. Once they were seated, Sookie looked at Sophie-Ann and simply said, "We only play one night, and you have to put us up in a different hotel, or it's a deal breaker."

After another hour of ironing out the details, their tour schedule was set, and Eric, Sookie, and Lafayette were on their way to find Sookie an outfit for the release party. They went to a few boutiques before Sookie ended up purchasing a pair of black leather pants, a red halter top (which was considerably more modest than the one Lafayette had wanted her to buy), and some very high red heels.

As they arrived at the party that evening, the press and fans were there in hoards. There were so many flash bulbs going off in her face, Sookie could hardly see well enough to walk, and ended up having to hook her arm through Eric's just to make sure she didn't fall flat on her face! When they finally made it into the club, they headed straight for the bar. Eric ordered himself a Jack and coke, and got a gin and tonic for Sookie. Lafayette and Eric introduced her and Jason to several heavy hitters in the music industry.

They continued to drink and mingle until Eric noticed that Sookie was starting to show signs that she was drunk. He told Jason and Lafayette that he was going to take her back to the hotel and put her to bed. He helped her back out to the car, and when they arrived at their hotel, he helped her change her clothes, gave her a large glass of water and a couple aspirin, and left her to sleep.

He wasn't at all surprised when she met him in the hotel lobby the next morning looking a little disheveled, and wearing dark sunglasses, even indoors. They each grabbed a cup of very strong coffee, and began their drive back to Shreveport. Sookie was not at all prepared for what was waiting for them upon their return. No matter where she went, she couldn't avoid the media, all asking her about her relationship with Eric. She didn't understand where all of this came from, that is, until she saw a tabloid magazine while she was picking up some milk at the grocery store.

There, on the front page, were several pictures of the two of them together in New Orleans. There were a few photos of them arriving at and leaving the party, and Eric had his arm around her in all of them, because he'd been helping her walk while she was blinded by flash bulbs, and very intoxicated. But, they also had pictures of the two of them shopping together. But, the one that affected her the most was a picture of the two of them standing on the terrace of the Bon Temps office, Eric's face cradled in Sookie's hands as they kissed. She'd had no idea that someone had been across the street taking their picture.

**THREE MONTHS LATER**

"You ready for this, baby girl?" Lafayette asked Sookie as they prepared to go on stage.

"Oh hell yes! This is my favorite part of being a musician. Nothing beats the rush of performing."

Lafayette laughed loudly, and said, "Oh, I can think of **something** that might beat it," and waggled his eyebrows at her. She laughed and shook her head.

They got all set up on stage behind the closed curtain, and waited for the MC to introduce them. They were kicking their tour off by performing at a charity benefit in honor of Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of the band Queen. Every year, several big name acts performed covers of Queen songs, and all proceeds from the concert and sales of the live CD that was released afterwards, were donated to foundations for AIDS research.

When the curtain finally rose, Sookie felt her pulse begin to race, and adrenalin pump through her veins. She'd meant what she said to Lafayette. Performing was an incredible rush for her. They performed only one song, Who Wants to Live Forever, before being escorted to the after party for performers only. She knew that Bill was also schedule to perform that night, and had resigned herself to the knowledge that she might see him.

She hadn't spent much time in the past few months thinking about Bill. Instead, all of her time was being focused on preparing for their tour, and denying the rumors going around that she and Eric were a couple. Those few pictures of them the day of the release party just wouldn't seem to go away.

As she sat at a table with the other members of her band and Maria Star, Sookie couldn't help but think about how much about her life had changed since she'd joined Shades of Dawn. But, she knew that she wouldn't change a thing. Well, except that maybe she'd work a little harder to avoid photographers. She left and made her way to the restroom.

She was washing her hands and preparing to leave when the door opened and a woman walked in, and began fixing her lipstick in the mirror. Sookie tried to walk past her, but the woman blocked her path and smirked at Sookie.

"What do you want, Lorena?" Sookie asked her.

"Oh, believe me, I don't want anything from you. I've already got the only thing you had that I wanted."

"And I should thank you for that. My life is ten times better now that Bill is no longer in it."

"Oh, so I've heard. Tell me, how's your love life? Or, do you even **have** one. From what I've seen, the only men you've been spending time with are the ones in your band. Obviously, you're not having any fun on the side with Lafayette or Jason, and Alcide's engaged. So, that just leaves Eric. But, he's said thousands of times that there's nothing between the two of you. Bill's always said there was no way you could hold a man's attention for more than a few hours." Sookie decided she'd heard enough, shoved past Lorena, and left the bathroom.

The minute Eric saw Sookie when she emerged, he knew something had upset her. He immediately got to his feet, and when they reached one another, wrapped his arms around her, and asked what was wrong.

She told him about her encounter with Lorena, and he could tell she was trying to hold back tears. He wanted to rip Bill Compton limb from limb for what his treatment of her had done to her self esteem. The DJ had been playing several 80's tunes, and when Eric heard the beginning of Alannah Myles song 'Black Velvet,' he came up with a plan.

"Dance with me," he told her.

"What?" She asked.

"Dance with me. Let your inner sex kitten out, and let's go show Lorena just how easily you can hold a man's attention."

She raised her eyebrows and tilter her head slightly, before nodding her head. Eric led her to the center of the dance floor, and pulled her body flush up against his. They began to move together, their bodies flowing with one another like drops of water in a river. They let the movement of their bodies be as sexual as they could possibly be with clothing on, and by the end of the song, almost everyone in the club was watching them with lust filled eyes. Sookie pulled his head to hers, kissed him on the cheek, thanked him for the dance, and left in the direction of the bar.

Eric walked back to their table with a stunned look on his face. He sat down, ran a hand through his hair, and softly said, "I am so fucked."

"Why's that?" Lafayette asked him, following his eyes to where Sookie was standing.

"For the last three months I've done nothing but deny the rumors that there was something going on between Sookie and I. And now, I would give everything I own to make those rumors true."


	9. Chapter 9

Sookie strode to the bar purposefully and ordered a shot of bourbon. She poured it down her throat, feeling the raw burn of the alcohol. It wasn't the only part of her that was burning. She felt like every inch of her was on fire, especially the spots where Eric had touched her bare skin. She turned from the bar and glanced in the direction of the table she knew he was sitting at. He was there, and both he and Lafayette were looking at her. She could tell by the look in Eric's eye that he was feeling the same things that she was. She signaled him by jerking her head towards the club's back door, and saw him raise a single eyebrow before she turned and left. She went through the door out into the alleyway behind the club.

Eric was there in the alley with her before the door had time to shut. He grabbed her by the waist, spun her around to face him, slanted his mouth over hers, and kissed her like both of their lives depended on it. She returned the kiss hungrily, and pressed herself full against him, so they were touching over every possible surface. Just when she was sure she would pass out from lack of oxygen, Eric's mouth released hers and traveled down her jaw, to her neck. He gently nipped her ear lobe and whispered, "Sookie?"

"Mmmm…" was all she could manage to reply, her eyes closing with the pleasure of it all.

"Are you hungry, Sookie?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, do you want fries or onion rings then?"

"What?" she gasped, opening her eyes. Jason stood in front of her, looking at her expectantly.

"Um, onion rings, I guess."

"Smooth, be back in a flash!" her brother said before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.

She took a moment to take in her surroundings. She was reclined on one of the couches on the tour bus, and they were stopped at some burger joint in some town she'd never heard of. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. When she felt the seat next to her move slightly, she turned to see who had sat down.

"Same ole day dream again?" Lafayette asked.

"Yup."

"Ya know honey, if this keeps happening, you may need to go lay down in your bed and pull the curtain shut. One of these days your hands are gonna start to wander!" Sookie smacked him playfully, and he just laughed harder.

"This is beyond frustrating, Laffy. We've been on tour for two freaking months already, and every time I turn around, I'm fantasizing about what could've happened after that dance!"

"Sookie, it still **can** happen, if you'll admit that you want him!"

"I know, but, I just can't do it, Lafayette. I made a promise to myself and to Jason after Bill that I would never again date a guy I was in a band with. If Eric and I got together and then broke up, it would make things too awkward for everyone else."

Lafayette rolled his eyes and growled in frustration. "Sookie, I can't keep telling you this. Stop worrying about what everyone else would think, or feel, or want, and start figuring out what is best for **you**."

Before Sookie could respond, Jason, Alcide, and Maria Star loudly made their way back onto the bus, and beckoned for Sookie and Lafayette to join them in the "dining area." Even though they were engaged, Sophie Ann had tried to block Maria Star from joining Alcide and the rest of them on tour. However, as Pam pointed out, she was quite the talented photographer, so, she was now traveling with them as an employee of the record label.

Once they sat down to begin eating, Sookie looked around and asked, "Where's Eric?"

"Taking a nap," Jason said with his mouth full, earning him a smack on the forearm from his sister.

"Well, did anyone get him any food?" Sookie groaned when they all just sort of shrugged, mumbled something about being right back, and left the bus. Lafayette watched her leave with a mixture of emotions.

He knew that Sookie would somehow know exactly what to order for Eric to eat without even asking him. The two of them had come to know each other so well, it was a wonder they hadn't figured out how the other felt. It seemed that everyone in the band, Sookie being the only exception, knew that Eric wanted Sookie. In fact, Jason, Alcide, and sometimes Lafayette himself teased Eric mercilessly about it. They said it was probably the only time that Eric had ever pined after a woman he couldn't have. Normally, all that had to happen for a woman's panties to drop was for Eric to crook his little finger at them.

But, Lafayette knew that he was the **only **one who knew that Sookie felt the same about Eric. She hadn't even told Jason. Lafayette was well aware of how badly the entire situation upset her. She and Eric talked about everything. It was almost as if they were joined at the hip. But for some reason, the one thing that was most important, they wouldn't discuss.

A few moments later, he watched as Sookie came back onto the bus holding a brown paper bag full of some incredibly greasy food, and what he assumed was a large vanilla shake with pieces of Snickers bars in it. She stopped by the others long enough to grab her own food, before taking all of it over to the bunk where Eric was sleeping.

As the others went back to eating, Lafayette watched as Sookie pulled back the curtain, crawled into the cramped space with Eric, and gently shook him until he woke up. He stretched and smiled when he saw her, and his grin got even bigger when he saw that she'd brought him food. Sookie cuddled up to him as they chatted together and ate. Lafayette noted, once again, that to an outsider, they looked like a perfectly happy couple. But, they weren't a perfectly happy couple. They were two best friends who desperately wanted each other, but for all the wrong reasons refused to admit it.

Not that the situation didn't have its comical moments. Two weeks into their tour, they'd arrived in Salt Lake City at around 4pm on a Thursday evening, and weren't performing until Friday night. So, after they'd all gone out to dinner together, they went back to their hotel and were hanging around the pool area with a few members of their sound and tech crew. One of the men, John Quinn, a tall, bald man who apparently idolized Vin Diesel, had designs on Sookie.

Although he had to admit that Quinn was one of the best sound guys in the business, Lafayette could not stand the man. He was always trying to strut around, showing off his obviously steroid-enhanced physique. Sookie was always polite to him though. She'd once told Eric and Lafayette that her Grandmother had told her to always be polite to someone until they gave her a reason **not** to be. That night in Salt Lake, Jason had set up his iPod, and several of them were content to simply listen to music and soak in the hot tub. Quinn, however, couldn't seem to shut his trap!

"You know, babe," he'd said to Sookie, "you should let me bring you back here to Utah sometime during the winter. They really do have some of the best ski resorts in the country."

"You'd think so, since they had the freakin' Winter Olympics here…" Eric had mumbled quietly.

Sookie had to work hard to avoid smirking at Eric's comment. "That's what I've heard. But, I've never gone skiing before, and, I can't say that I have a strong desire to learn how. I'm more of a warm weather kinda girl."

"I could teach you. Then we could cuddle up in front of a fire, and I could teach you a few other things." Obviously, subtlety wasn't one of Quinn's fortes. A new song had just begun to play on the iPod, and after a minute, Quinn turned to Jason and said, "Dude, for a musician, you sure have crappy taste in music. What the hell is this?"

It had suddenly become so quiet, you could've heard a pin drop. Alcide, Maria Star, Jason, Sookie and Eric looked back and forth between each other, dumbfounded. Finally, Sookie answered Quinn's question. "It's Free Bird," she said.

"Free Bird?" Quinn said skeptically. "Who the hell names their band Free Bird?"

Eric looked as if he wanted to vault across the hot tub and hold Quinn's head under the water until he stopped kicking. Luckily, Sookie put her hand on Eric's chest, and he was able to contain the physical side of his rage. "Free Bird is the name of the song," Eric said, contempt for Quinn heavy in his tone. "The band is Lynyrd Skynyrd, and they just happen to have been the best Southern rock group of all time."

"The way you talk about them makes it sound like they're not playin' together anymore. If they were any good, wouldn't they still be together?" Quinn must've been bound and determined to shove his foot in his mouth.

"They were flying to Baton Rouge to play at LSU in 1977 and their plane crashed, and three of the band members were killed," Alcide said.

"Well, that's too bad, but, that doesn't change the fact that I've never heard of them. What other songs are theirs?" Quinn asked.

"What's Your Name," said Jason.

"Saturday Night Special," added Lafayette.

"Simple Man," said Eric.

"Sweet Home Alabama," Sookie said.

"Okay, okay, I get the point," Quinn said, sounding annoyed. But, Eric had obviously had enough of Quinn's attitude.

"Jason, just change the song," Eric said. Jason smiled, nudged Alcide with his elbow, and put a different song on. The two of them began to laugh when Eric gave them a dirty look when the song playing, Think Twice by Eve 6, reached its chorus.

_Think twice before you touch my girl_

_Come around, I'll let you feel the burn_

_Think twice before you touch my girl_

_Come around, Come around, no more_

Even Quinn got the message from that little display. Sookie, for some reason, had continued to be oblivious.

After the majority of their concerts, they would all go to a bar, or club, or whatever entertaining spot they could find, and have fun, winding down from the adrenaline rush they'd experienced while performing. Without exception, they would all have various fans trying to get them into bed. Jason was definitely living up to his reputation as a manwhore, and had a different woman in his bed almost every night. Lafayette had a fling or two, but, mostly stuck to harmless flirtations.

But, Eric and Sookie always ended up going back to the hotel only with each other. Lafayette kept hoping that they would somehow end up drunk in bed together, but, it never happened. He'd never had two friends act this responsible before, and it infuriated him.

He was brought back to the here and now when, as was normally the case as soon as they finished eating, Jason stretched, yawned obscenely loudly, and left to take a nap. Within five minutes, they could hear him snoring loudly in his bunk, and Eric and Sookie had joined the others on a couch.

"Okay, so, since I know he won't mention it, I should probably let you all know that Jason's birthday is tomorrow ," Sookie said.

"Wait a minute, you're twins. So, don't you have the same birthday?" Maria Star asked.

"We were technically born on different days. Jason was born at like 11:45pm, and I was born at 12:05 am. Our parents could've had us just celebrate on the same day, but, all growing up they made it two separate days, and it was always tons of fun."

"So, that means that we'll be driving through North Carolina all day for Jason's birthday, and playing in DC for yours, right?" Alcide questioned.

Sookie nodded, and they began to discuss what they could do to make the day special for Jason. When all was said and done, they'd decided on stopping for lunch in Charlotte at The Cheesecake Factory, which was one of Jason's favorites, and they picked out a couple simple gifts they could give to him.

When they took him to lunch, he was very pleasantly surprised. He figured Sookie would let them know it was his birthday, but, he didn't really expect for them to make a big deal about it. They had arranged for an area of the restaurant to be sectioned off so they'd have privacy, and as they were eating, Jason got a little choked up as he thanked them all for the gesture.

Later that evening, back on the bus, they were all sitting around having a good time, watching Jason open the gifts they'd purchased for him. Maria Star thought it seemed odd as Jason explained that he and Sookie had made an agreement the year they turned 21 that they wouldn't exchange conventional gifts between the two of them. He told them all that they preferred to do something in honor of the other to celebrate the day. For example, when they turned 23, Jason had donated $250 to the local chapter of the ASPCA, an organization that Sookie very passionately supported.

When it came time for Sookie to reveal what her gift was, she grabbed her guitar, sat down next to her brother, and began to play and sing.

_Too alarming now to talk about; Take your pictures down and shake it out_

_Truth or consequence, say it aloud; Use that evidence, race it around_

_There goes my hero, Watch him as he goes_

_There goes my hero, He's ordinary_

_Don't the best of them bleed it out, while the rest of them peter out_

_Truth or consequence, say it aloud; Use that evidence, race it around_

_There goes my hero, Watch him as he goes_

_There goes my hero, He's ordinary_

_Kudos my hero, leaving all the best_

_You know my hero, the one that's on_

_There goes my hero, watch him as he goes_

_There goes my hero, he's ordinary_

_There goes my hero, watch him as he goes_

_There goes my hero, he's ordinary_

When the song ended, Sookie handed her guitar to Eric, and she and Jason embraced tightly, each of them with tears running down their cheeks. Throughout their young lives, they'd been through so much together. The loss of their brother, and their mother's resultant depression what brought them closer than they'd ever imagined they'd be. Sookie had found a way to tell Jason that he was her hero, and it touched his heart more than words could describe.

The next morning they arrived in Washington DC, and while the tech crew began to set up for the concert, the band, along with Maria Star and Pam, went sightseeing, since it was Sookie's birthday, and this was her first time in the nation's capital city. Pam kept teasing Sookie, saying that she was a famous rock star, and needed to stop acting like a tourist. But, they all had a wonderful time, anyway.

They'd decided earlier that morning that they would wait to really celebrate Sookie's birthday until after the show, ensuring they'd have plenty of time to get a good sound check in, and recover from walking all over town. Sookie had pushed all thoughts of celebrating and gifts to the back of her mind, and focused all her energy on giving the fans a show worth the money they'd pay to see Shades of Dawn.

The concert was winding down, and they got to the part where Eric would thank everyone for coming, and they'd play their final song. To Sookie's utter surprise, though, he said something she was completely unprepared for instead.

"You've been an incredible crowd, and we've had a blast playin' for ya," Eric said into the microphone, followed by screams and applause. "Normally at this point, we'd thank everyone for coming, and sing our final number, but, we've got something different in mind, tonight. Most of you know that we have two new talented musicians with us, Jason and Sookie Stackhouse," more applause, more screams. "Most of you probably know they're twins. But, what some of you may not be aware of, is that they are one of those rare sets of twins that don't actually have the same birthday. Jason was born just before midnight, and Sookie just after.

"Now, yesterday was Jason's birthday, and it was actually really easy for us to decide what to give him for his present. We took him to lunch, and bought him a large pizza, a six-pack of Bud, and 'Snakes On A Plane' on BluRay." At this point, several fans laughed and clapped, and Jason raised his bottle of water in a mock toast to them. "But, Sookie's a little harder to shop for. For, instead of actually **buying** her a present, we're going to do something for her."

At this point, he turned so he was facing Sookie, but kept his mouth up close to the mic. "Sook, why don't you come up here with me for a minute." She walked to where he was standing, a look of surprise on her face. Once she reached him, Eric reached around her shoulders to grasp the strap for her guitar, and took it off her body. "Why don't you let me hold this." When she raised her eyebrows skeptically, he added, "I promise I won't break it." She allowed him to take her guitar, and he positioned her directly in front of the microphone. "For our present to Sookie, we're gonna let her sing this next one," he said, and she turned her face to him in shock. She'd never sang in front of a crowd this large before. He just smiled, said, "Whenever you're ready, Lafayette," and walked to where Sookie had previously been standing.

Her look of horror turned into a huge grin when Lafayette's bass guitar began to strum the opening notes to 'Come Together.' Sookie threw her head back in laughter, remembering that it was the first song Eric, Lafayette, and Alcide had ever heard her sing. When the verse started, she gripped the mic, and gave it her all.

_Here come old flattop he come grooving up slowly_

_He got juju eyeball he one holy roller_

_He got hair down to his knee_

_Got to be a joker he just do what he please_

She'd taken the mic off the stand and held it in her hand, and as she sang that first verse, had made her way over to stand next to Lafayette, and kissed him on the cheek during the break before the second verse. When the second verse did indeed start, she made her way to Alcide to do the same.

_He wear no shoeshine he got toe-jam football_

_He got monkey finger he shoot coca-cola_

_He say "I know you, you know me"_

_One thing I can tell you is you got to be free_

_Come together right now over me_

The first two verses were mainly only bass and drum, and as Jason began to play with the third verse, she made her way to him.

_He bag production he got walrus gumboot_

_He got ono sideboard he one spinal cracker_

_He got feet down below his knee_

_Hold you in his armchair you can feel his disease_

_Com together right now over me_

She stood next to Jason as she prepared for him to play the short guitar solo during the break before the fourth verse, but her head whipped around in shock when, instead of Jason playing the solo, Eric was playing it on her guitar. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and hearing. She knew that Eric was very good on guitar, but that he didn't feel confident enough to play for anyone besides their own little group of friends. She was overwhelmed with pride that he was doing this for her, as his birthday present for her. During his solo, their eyes never left each other, and she slowly made her way over to him, until only a mic stand was between their two bodies. He leaned in to the mic, and harmonized with her for the final verse.

_He roller-coaster he got early warning_

_He got muddy water he one mojo filter_

_He say "one and one and one is three"_

_Got to be good-looking 'cause he's so hard to see_

_Come together right now over me_

When the song ended, Eric held her guitar off to the side and held her in a tight embrace. When they finally broke apart, he said into the mic, "Ladies and gentleman, Miss Sookie Stackhouse!" The crowd went nuts with screams as Sookie went to hug the other members of their band.

They finished up the concert, and were back stage getting ready to go to the private club at their hotel for their celebration for Sookie's birthday. Sookie seemed very quiet, and was not quite acting like herself. When Eric asked if something was wrong, she just said that she had a slight headache, and would take some aspirin on the way to the hotel, and it'd be fine. He shrugged, and they made their way outside to their limo.

As they were on their way into the club, Sookie grabbed Lafayette's arm, pulling him off to the side, away from the others for a moment. "He feels the same about me, doesn't he?" she asked him.

Lafayette smiled broadly. "It's about damn time one of you figured that out. What made you see it?"

"He played the guitar in front of the entire audience. That was huge."

"Yes, for him, that really was huge. Now, the real question is, what are ya gonna do about it?"

Sookie closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, a look Lafayette recognized easily, knowing she was having an internal debate. A moment later, her eyes popped open and she smiled brightly. "I guess it's happy birthday to me after all," she said, and sauntered off to find Eric. Lafayette smiled and laughed, relieved to know that his two best friends were about to get what they each wanted more than anything. Each other.

Sookie made her way into the club, and immediately spotted Eric and Jason at the bar. She joined them, and quickly downed a shot of bourbon, her latest form of liquid courage. Before she could say anything, Jason asked if he could have a dance with her, and she reluctantly agreed. She loved her brother, and he was a blast to dance with, but she wanted to be with Eric. She and Jason danced together, before Alcide claimed her for a dance as well. With everyone knowing it was her birthday, she wasn't able to get close to Eric until after an hour had passed; An hour in which she'd had a few more shots.

When she finally found Eric, she tugged his hand, asking him to go outside with her to get some fresh air. He agreed, and they walked to the patio together. Sookie felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest, so she took a moment to stare at the night sky to try and calm herself. Finally, she turned to Eric.

"Eric, I know that because you played guitar and let me sing during the concert, you've technically already given me my gift. But, there's something else I want to ask you for."

"Sure, Sook, anything."

"You, Eric. For my birthday, I just want you." Eric looked stunned by her words, but didn't hesitate to respond when she pushed herself against him, and pulled his mouth down to hers for a soul-searing kiss. He let his hands roam over her body, and both felt and heard her growl when his hands squeezed her ass. He'd been wanting this for so long. He could kill himself for what he was about to do.

He pulled his lips away from hers, and tried to put some distance between the two of them. "Sookie, we can't do this." He didn't sound very convincing.

"Why not, Eric? You can't tell me you don't want me," she said pointedly, indicating the budge in the front of his pants.

"Oh, believe me, I want you. But, we just can't do this. It's your birthday, and you're drunk. You made yourself a promise to note get involved with someone in the band, and, I wouldn't be able to stand it if in the morning, you woke up and realized this was all just a mistake. Not tonight, baby. Come to me another night, when you're sober, and if you still want me, I promise I won't stop."

She felt the sting of tears beginning to build in her eyes, and she turned and ran away. She felt humiliated. She literally ran into Lafayette, well, more like crashed into him, in the hallway, and when he asked what was wrong, they went to her room together, and he rubbed her back while she cried and told him the entire story.

Eric had watched her run away, and wanted to take it all back. He hadn't meant to hurt her. But, he didn't want her to regret anything that ever happened between the two of them. He eventually went back into the bar, and ordered another drink. Just as he was placing the shot glass back down, he heard a familiar voice behind him say, "Well, well, well, what have we here?"

Sookie woke the next morning with the mother of all headaches. She was still fully clothed, and she was lying on her hotel room bed next to Lafayette. She walked to the mini-kitchen in the room, made a pot of coffee, and after drinking a cup, took a very hot shower. When she came back out of the bathroom, Lafayette was there, and she could see that he'd had some coffee as well, and had also changed his clothes.

"Come on, baby girl. What do you say we go wake up that tall blonde friend of ours, and find the nearest IHOP?" She laughed a little, smiled, and nodded. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed, and she and Lafayette were standing outside Eric's hotel room, knocking loudly, trying to wake him.

When the door opened, what she saw shocked her to the very core. Instead of Eric, the person who answered the door was a tan woman with long, wavy brown hair, a killer body, and legs that went on for days. She had obviously just gotten out of bed, and was wearing nothing but a shirt of Eric's.

"Can I help you," the woman asked Sookie.

Before Sookie could answer, she heard the bathroom door in the room open, and Eric asked, "Who the hell is it, Dawn?" When he turned the corner, wearing nothing but a towel, and saw Sookie standing there, he froze. "Oh, fuck," he mumbled, and then watched as Sookie turned and ran away, Lafayette yelling after her.

**A/N I still don't own any of the characters, or songs used for this story. The songs used for this chapter are: My Hero by Paramore (a cover of the Foo fighters song), and Michael Jackson's arrangement of Come Together by The Beatles. I've made a playlist which has all of the music used in this story, in the order it appears. To listen, you can go to ****http: // www. playlist. com / playlist / 19566565643. Just remove the spaces!! Like the story so far? Don't like the story so far? Review either way and let me know!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N This chapter is really short, but, I felt the update was needed. The last chapter received more reviews than any chapter I've ever written, for any fic! As exciting as that is, it was a little frustrating, because so many of you immediately wanted to crucify Eric. Have a little faith, people!!**

Sookie and Lafayette sat silently, huddled together on a couch at the back of their tour bus. Sookie was grateful that Alcide, Maria Star, and Jason had all seen her get drunk the night before, because it meant they wouldn't question her introverted behavior, and the large, overly dark sunglasses she was wearing. She really just didn't want everyone else to read the signs that she'd been crying.

The vehicles with all of their equipment, and their crew, had left the DC area already, as was normal. The bus with the band members themselves was scheduled to leave at 11am. It was currently 10:45, and everyone had arrived except Pam and Eric. Twenty minutes later, Pam came onto the bus, looking a little frazzled.

"Sorry about the delay, everyone. Unfortunately, something very important has come up, and it's causing Eric to be late. I expect him back shortly, and we'll leave as soon as he gets here," Pam explained.

"Will you at least tell us what the hell is going on, Pam?" Jason asked.

"No, I think I'll leave that for Eric," was all she would say, her gaze shifting to Sookie.

Sookie simply shook her head slightly, cuddled closer to Lafayette, and tried to go back to sleep. She wished she could simply drift off, and when she woke up, the entire thing would just have been a terrible nightmare. But, she knew that would not happen. Instead, she closed her eyes, and tried not to focus on the pain.

About 20 minutes later, the sound of a loud gasp coming from Maria Star caused Sookie to open her eyes. Everyone was staring blankly out the window at the sidewalk next to the bus. When Sookie found their focus, she felt tears forming, again. Eric was just outside of the bus, and he was speaking to Dawn. He quickly hugged her before turning and climbing up the steps onto the bus. The moment the door shut behind him, he froze in place. Because Sookie was behind them, she couldn't see the looks on the faces of her band mates. But, judging by the expression on Eric's face, none of them were good.

Eric sat next to Pam as the bus pulled away from the curb, and the two of them whispered back and forth. A few minutes later, just as they were turning on to the interstate, the tension bubble that had been filling the bus popped.

"Eric, what the **fuck** were you doing with Dawn?" Alcide asked.

"I'll give you the whole story, but you have to agree to hear me out, alright?" Eric said, and then turned to look at each of their faces. He visibly paled when his eyes rested on Sookie and Lafayette.

He took a deep breath, blew it out loudly, and began his tale. "Last night, I was out on the terrace talking to Sookie." His eyes moved over her, filled with pain, and then moved back to the others. "After she went to bed, I went back to the bar and ordered a drink. Just as I was finishing it, Dawn approached me. She was there, on a date, with none other than Bill fucking Compton." Sookie's back suddenly straightened as she sat up, and Jason's hands balled into fists.

"She tried to strike up a conversation, but I told her I wasn't in the mood for her shit, and walked away. I was leaving the bar, and was going to head to my room, but my cell phone rang, and it was Amelia, so of course I answered. She'd had a dream about Clancy, and was quite upset, so, I paced back and forth in the lobby for about 30 minutes trying to calm her down.

"When I ended the call, I grabbed the elevator. When it got to my floor, I got off, and began to turn left to head to my room, but I heard both a male and a female voice, and it was pretty obvious that whoever they were, they were fighting. I started to walk away, but then I recognized that it was Dawn's voice. I heard a ripping sound, and it sounded like she was starting to cry, so I turned back to find out what was going on. When I turned the corner, Bill had her half way into one of the rooms, her dress was ripped, she had tears streaming down her cheeks, and it was pretty obvious he was trying to rip her bra off, but she was fighting back as hard as she could.

"I hit him across the jaw, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along 'til we got to my room. I sat her down and poured her a glass of water and tried to help her calm down. She was scared to leave the room, because she thought he'd be waiting for her. Her dress was in tatters, so I gave her a shirt to wear, she slept in my bed while I slept on the couch. This morning, after we each got cleaned up, I took her to the police department where she filed charges against the asshole. Compton was arrested about an hour ago, charged with assault and battery."

No one spoke. Eric had his head hanging down, and it almost looked like he was ashamed of himself. Maria Star finally stood, walked over to him, put her hand on his shoulder, and said, "You did the right thing, Eric. Regardless of what any of us think of her, she didn't deserve to be treated like that."

He looked up at her, and put his hand over hers. "Thank you, Mar. I really appreciate that." She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek, before sitting down next to Alcide again. After another couple of minutes, Eric stood, quietly mumbled, "Excuse me," and went up the stairs to the level of the bus with the beds. No one followed him.

Sookie didn't know what to think. She knew she'd definitely overreacted to what she'd seen this morning. But, she was still hurting because of his rejection the night before. She laid her head on Lafayette's shoulder, and tried to get some rest. But, she just couldn't get comfortable. Finally, she stood and went upstairs to find a bed.

When she saw Eric asleep on one of the beds, she watched him for a minute. He looked so peaceful, so familiar, and welcome. She swallowed her pride, and crawled into the bed with him. Even in sleep, he wrapped his body around hers, and she drifted into a peaceful slumber not long afterwards. They each had been exhausted, and slept for hours. Lafayette didn't have the heart to wake them when they stopped for lunch. He just smiled to himself when he saw them cuddled up together, and left them a note saying he'd buy them some cold sandwiches and have them waiting downstairs whenever they were hungry.

When Sookie finally woke, she took a quick peek at her watch and noticed it was already 4pm. They weren't performing tonight, and would be stopping at a hotel in Burlington, Vermont. They would be playing Portland, Maine the following night, then Boston, then New York, before heading to Chicago.

She felt movement behind her and through the corner of her eye saw that Eric was awake as well. He'd been spooning her while they slept. She realized that what actually woke her up was Eric's nose nuzzling into her hair, and his erection pushed against her bottom. She turned over so that they were facing each other, and he rested his hand on her hip.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey. I was surprised to find you here when I woke up. After what happened last night and this morning, I thought you'd never speak to me again."

"Give me a little credit, Eric. I can admit it when I'm wrong."

The look in his eyes was full of pain. "Sook, listen, I…" he began to say, but she put her finger over his mouth, effectively silencing him.

"No, Eric, it's my turn to talk now. Last night, I ran away because I felt like you were rejecting me." He tried to speak, but she silenced him yet again. "I know that's not what happened. I can honestly tell you that I wouldn't have regretted anything we did together, but, I know that you did the right thing by stopping us. I was so hurt when I ran away from you, and I ran into Lafayette, and he stayed with me all night, and helped me understand why you pushed me away. I was on my way to apologize to you over breakfast this morning when I knocked on your door and saw Dawn there. I shouldn't have run away, again. I know you well enough to know that, no matter how upset, or even how drunk you may have been, falling into bed with her is not a mistake you would've made again.

"I know how much pain it caused you when you fought with the others over your relationship with her. You deserved the chance to explain yourself, and by running, I took it away. That wasn't fair to you."

"Because it involved Bill, I should've found a way to fill you in last night. But, honestly, I thought that if I called you, and heard your voice, I wouldn't have had the strength to resist running to your room and jumping your bones!" They smiled and laughed together, and Eric's hand began to move over her hip, gently kneading.

"I can't believe how blind I've been," she said. "If I'd ever opened my eyes wide enough, I would've seen the signs that you had feelings for me."

"Well, it's not like I was advertising it, sweetie," he said, and nuzzled her neck.

"I know. But, now, as I look back on everything, I should've seen it. Especially all that stupid shit with Quinn!" They laughed again. Things were starting to feel like they were back to normal between them. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?" she asked.

"Of course I will. You know you don't even need to ask."

"After the way I treated you, and assumed the worse, I didn't think it would be right of me to **not** ask."

"Sookie, there's no one I would rather spend my time with more than you," he said, and kissed the tip of her nose.

"There's one more thing I want to ask you to do," she said hesitantly.

"Anything," he answered.

"Spend the night with me?"

He pulled his head back from hers just enough to ensure she could fully look into his eyes while he answered. "Absolutely," he said, and kissed her deeply, passionately. He poured every bit of desire he had for her into that kiss, to make sure there was no misunderstanding of his intentions.

They only broke apart when they heard Jason's voice say, "Whoa there, cowboy. It's about damn time that happened, but that's my sister, and I do **not** need to see it!"

They stayed cuddled up together until the bus finally arrived in Albany, and when they descended the stairs, it was obviously that Jason had filled everyone else in on what he'd found upstairs. Sookie turned beet red, and Eric only smiled and nodded when Pam asked if they'd be sharing a room for the evening. Once they were all set in their hotel, Sookie took a long, hot shower, while Eric called Amelia, distracting himself from the fact that there was only a door between himself and a naked Sookie.

About 90 minutes later, they walked hand-in-hand to a nice restaurant two blocks from their hotel. Eric seemed a tad confused when Sookie ordered a diet coke with her meal, and she smiled and said, "Didn't you want me sober tonight?" and waggled her eyebrows at him. His eyes darkened, and she laughed when he ate as quickly as he could without choking. The food was excellent, and Sookie promised herself that she'd have to come here again when her mind wasn't so preoccupied.

The sexual tension between the two of them continued to build and build as they walked back to their hotel. Eric's hand was resting gently on the small of Sookie's back as they waited for the elevator, and as soon as they were on and the doors closed, it moved down, and he began caressing her ass. She felt her panties begin to dampen with anticipation. They'd both wanted this for so long, and it was finally going to happen.

The moment the door to their room closed behind them, his mouth was on hers. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and put his hands behind her knees, lifting her, and felt her wrap her legs around his waist. She began to grind her center against him, and his already hard erection became painful to endure. Her shoes fell from her feet as he carried her towards the bed, and he kicked his own off as well.

He put her back on her feet next to the bed, and felt her hands grab the bottom of his shirt, and he raised his arms, allowing her to remove it from his body. Her mouth immediately closed on his nipple, only parting from it long enough to pull her shirt off as well. He undid the clasp on her bra, and it joined the growing pile of clothing on the floor.

Before she knew what was happening, Sookie was lying on her back on the bed, and they were both completely naked. Eric settled between her legs, and his tongue roughly caressed her breast. She put her legs around his waist, and whimpered, saying "Eric, I don't think I can wait any longer. Please."

"Protection?" he asked.

"Pill."

And then, he was inside her. He moved slowly at first, allowing them both to adjust, and savor the sensation. His pace began to pick up, and her moans became louder and louder. Eric could feel his orgasm building, and in the back of his mind, idly wondered if the walls were thin enough for the entire hotel to hear her. He was afraid of leaving her behind, so he reached down and began rubbing circles over her clit with his thumb. He felt her body clench around him as she screamed out his name, and then he was lost as he hit his own peak.

After they each caught their breath, Eric rolled to his back, pulling Sookie to lay half on top of him, resting her read on his chest. "Wow," she mumbled, and felt his chest rumble with laughter.

"You can say that again," he said, and she looked up at him and did just that.

She rested her head on his chest once again, felt his lips brush the top of her head, and just before she fell asleep, she could've sworn she heard him say, "God, I need you." She slept better than she had in years.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Sorry this has taken so long, RL has kinda been kicking my butt! But, without further ado, here's the new chapter! Pay attention, there's a pop quiz at the end. Seriously….**

Because he'd taken a nice long nap on the bus that afternoon, Eric woke after only two hours. Since Sookie was still sleeping with her head cradled on his chest, he tried to keep his movements to a minimum so as to not disturb her. He lightly traced his fingertips down her shoulder and along her back, relishing in the feel of her beautiful skin. Her blonde hair was trailing along his stomach, and it looked almost silver in the moonlight coming in through the window.

The past 24 hours had been a whirlwind of activity, and he was still trying to come to grips with what had happened. His mind flashed back to the sight of Dawn using all of her strength to try and pull herself out of Bill Compton's grip, fear obvious in her eyes. He simply couldn't wrap his mind around the situation. It had to have been obvious to Compton that Dawn wanted away from him, so, why had he persisted? After what both Sookie and Jason had told him about Bill Compton, he held no illusions that he would like the man. But, neither of them ever let on that he was capable of physical violence. Was this the first time he'd done this to someone? Eric was more relieved than ever that Compton was no longer a part of Sookie's life. He was enraged when he saw Compton hurting Dawn, who Eric loathed. How would he have felt if the victim had been Sookie, who he'd come to care for very deeply?

Eric pushed the thought aside as he felt Sookie begin to stir on his chest. He felt her shiver slightly, and saw her look up at him through half open eyes.

"Are you cold?" he asked softly.

"No," she said with a smile. "That tickles," she indicated the movement of his fingers along her spine.

"Oh, really?" he said, raising his eyebrows, as he continued to playfully feature his fingers over her flesh. She giggled, and wiggled around a bit, trying to pull away from him. He wrapped his other arm around her, holding her tight to him, and their struggle continued for a few more minutes. He finally let her go when she mumbled something about him making her wet the bed.

When she came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later, rather than crawling back into the bed with him, she made her way to the to the large fruit basket the hotel staff had put in the room prior to their arrival. She dug through the basket, looking at what was available, before finally grabbing a sprig of grapes, and walking back to the bed. She felt somewhat awkward being completely naked, so she bent down and picked up Eric's discarded t-shirt, and pulled it on. While she'd been getting the fruit, Eric had gotten up and made use of the bathroom as well, and now he pulled on his boxers before coming to sit next to her, leaning his back on the bed's headboard. She held out a grape and raised her eyebrows, and he nodded, and she popped the grape into his mouth. He chuckled as he chewed.

"What's so funny?" she asked while putting another grape into her own mouth.

"Oh, somehow I just always knew that I would one day end up in bed with an incredibly beautiful woman feeding me grapes."

She smacked his shoulder playfully, and mumbled something about his never-ending ego.

He smiled, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "So," he asked, "What happens now?"

"Mmmm," she said as she finished chewing, "I'm glad you asked." She turned to face him. "It's called sex, honey. You see, when a man and a woman care about each other very much…"

He pushed slightly against her shoulder, and she laughed. "I'm sorry, but let's face it, you totally walked into that one."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now enough with the jokes, Sookie. Seriously. Where do we stand?"

Her expression sobered, and she reclined slightly, resting her head against his shoulder. "You're still my best friend, but, now, you're my lover, too. What do you think?"

He wrapped his arm around her again, and said, "As far as I'm concerned, right now, you're the most important person in my life. You're my best friend, my lover, and I can't think of a single person I'd rather spend my time with more than you."

She wrapped both her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. "So, does that mean I have a new boyfriend?"

He smiled, and kissed the top of her head. "I sure as hell hope so."

The next few days passed by in a whirl. Pam, Alcide, and Maria Star all seemed genuinely happy to hear that Sookie and Eric were now a true couple, but their reaction would never top Lafayette and Jason's. When they'd walked hand-in-hand onto the bus, Lafayette looked at them, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Well it's about time, bitches." But, Jason's statement was the best. He'd looked Eric directly in the eye, and very sternly said, "If you hurt my sister, I'll kick your trash." He followed that by looking Sookie directly in the eye, saying, "If you hurt my friend, I'll kick your trash."

The concert in Maine was about on par with all of their previous performances, and Boston was fairly typical, although there seemed to be more media than they'd anticipated. However, by the time they reached New York, the world around them seemed to turn into a complete zoo. Paparazzi were everywhere, taking photos and asking questions about the arrest of Sookie's ex for assaulting Eric's ex. That, along with the fact that Eric and Sookie were suddenly together after having denied it to the press for so long, and it seemed like they never had a single moment alone. As soon as all the gear was packed-up after the concert, they hit the road, and none of them were sorry to leave New York.

Sookie and Jason both had enough on their minds as it was. Their next stop would be Chicago, which was where they had lived from age 12 until they'd graduated high school. Their early departure from New York would put them in Chicago at around 2pm on Thursday, and their concert wasn't until Friday night. They'd have all day Saturday in the area, and be leaving Sunday. Pam had worked hard with Sophie Ann to arrange to have this much time in the Chicago area so that Jason and Sookie could be there for their mother's birthday party.

The party was what was making them both so nervous. Ever since their brother's death, their mother had been different. They'd taken care of her more than she'd taken care of them. She had her good days, but their father had told them that they were few and far between. Special occasions, such as holidays and birthdays, had always been the worst. For that reason, Sookie and Jason decided not to take the rest of their band to the party.

They arrived at their hotel just after 2pm, and once they were checked-in, Jason and Sookie called their father to let him know that they'd arrived. He told them that he would pick them up at their hotel at 7pm for dinner. When he arrived, they expected for him to take them back home, or possibly to their aunt's house. They were shocked and confused when, instead, he took them to a nice downtown restaurant, and asked for a table for three.

Once they had placed their orders, their father explained the change of plans. "Listen, kids, I don't know how else to tell you this, so, I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Your mother doesn't want to see you. We had made all of the arrangements for a nice party at your Aunt Amy's house, and everyone was gonna have dinner together. But, this morning when I reminded your mother that you two would be getting here today, she freaked out. She started throwing dishes all over the kitchen, yelling that if she saw you, it would just make her think of Tray, because you kids always looked so much alike when you were young." Jason was mad, and Sookie was fighting back tears. "Amy's gone over to the house to try and calm her down, so, I'm thinking the party's off. Instead, I thought that maybe the three of us could just spend some time together, catch up a bit."

Back at the hotel, Eric was sitting alone in the room he was sharing with Sookie. He'd met Lafayette at the hotel's restaurant for dinner right around the time Sookie and Jason had left, but, opted to go back to the room rather than go out bar hopping with Lafayette. He was propped up on the bed with his laptop, answering an email with the one friend he still kept in touch with from Sweden. He heard the tell tale click of the keycard in the door, and was surprised at how early Sookie was returning. He heard the door open and close, and a moment later, she walked into the bedroom.

"You're back early," he said, and then got a good look at her face. He tossed his laptop to the empty space next to him, and stood up quickly. "Sookie, what is it? What's wrong?"

She had stopped trying to keep the tears from falling, and they were literally pouring down her cheeks by this time. "She didn't want to see us, Eric. We went to a restaurant and had dinner with my dad, because my mom didn't want to see us because we remind her too much of Tray."

Eric was at her side in an instant, and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. After a few minutes had passed, he felt her sway slightly. Figuring she was exhausted, he picked her up bridal style, and sat down with her still in his lap. He stroked her back gently, but remained silent, just letting her get it all out of her system.

Once her hiccupping had stopped, she pulled back so her cheek was resting against his chest, and said, "If I tell you this, you have to promise me that you'll never tell Jason, okay?"

He was shocked. He knew that there were no secrets between Sookie and Jason, and he couldn't imagine what she was going to say. He nodded, and waited for her to continue.

"When we were juniors in high school, I left school and went home early one day because I wasn't feeling well. When I got there, my mom was sitting at the kitchen table. She was really out of it, and she looked like she was about to fall asleep. I knew something was wrong, and I kept asking her why she was so tired. I finally went and found all of her medication and counted her pills, and then checked the liquor cabinet. She'd taken a couple of handfuls of various meds, and downed a bottle of vodka. I freaked out, and took her into the bathroom, and made her throw up. When I was pretty sure everything had come back up, I cleaned everything up, and put her to bed. She begged me not to tell my dad, and. You're the first person I've ever talked to about it."

"Oh, Sookie," he said, and rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm so sorry, baby. I can't imagine how horrible that must've been."

He held her as she cried more, and only finally let go of her when he felt her breath even out, as she had fallen asleep. He pulled her shoes, socks, and pants off, and was able to maneuver around enough to get her bra off of her as well. He put a tall glass of water and 2 aspirin on the nightstand, got under the blankets with her, and held her tight as he joined her in sleep.

He woke the next morning disappointed to see that he was alone in bed. He glanced over at the nightstand, and noted that the glass was empty, and the aspirin were gone. He was just sitting up when the bathroom door opened, and Sookie walked out, still wearing only her shirt and panties. She stood motionless for a moment looking at him, but when he opened his arms wide for her, she immediately jumped onto the bed and into his arms.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Better than yesterday, but not quite perfect."

"That's to be expected. But, better is better than worse, right?"

"Right," she answered, chuckling a bit. He held her close for a moment more, before making use of the bathroom himself. When he came back out, she was on the phone with room service, ordering breakfast for them both. He showered while they were waiting for the food to arrive, and she ate quickly and showered as well.

They were scheduled to meet the rest of the band in the lobby at 11am so they could go to the auditorium for sound check. Jason seemed to be suffering from a hangover, and since it made Pam furious, Sookie had to explain what had happened to cause Jason to get so drunk the night before a concert. She wasn't happy about the situation, but, she was understanding.

Eric was a little worried that the family drama they'd gone through would affect the way Sookie and Jason performed, but, the concert went very well. On their way back to the hotel that night, Sookie said it was probably because they knew a few of their high school friends were in the audience. They still had another full day in Chicago, so, instead of going out after the concert, they all just went back to the hotel to relax. They were meeting up with some friends of Jason and Sookie's the next evening, and Jason had warned them to get plenty of rest, because these friends had been known to get fairly rowdy.

Any hopes of sleeping in that Eric and Sookie may have had the morning after the concert were quickly destroyed when, at 9am, they heard someone pounding loudly on the door to their hotel room. Eric growled, and went to answer the door. The moment it opened, Lafayette, Jason, Alcide, and Maria Star came rushing in.

"What the hell, guys?" Eric said, sounding completely disgruntled. "It is way too fucking early."

"Oh, I don't think so, baby," Lafayette said. "We all have a date with breakfast and the television. It's Grammy nominee day!"

Eric rubbed his eyes, knowing there was no way around this. Ever since they'd released their first album, they had all made a point of having breakfast and watching the Grammy nominee announcements together.

"I already called room service and ordered some food and coffee, and it should be here shortly. Go wake up Miss Hotness and tell her to get her ass out here!" Lafayette said.

"I'm already up, Laffy," came Sookie's voice from the bedroom doorway, and Lafayette and Eric both turned to look at her.

"Mm, mm, mm!" Lafayette moaned and smiled. "Honey child, if you had the right equipment, I'd be all over that." Sookie blushed as she realized that Lafayette was referring to the fact that her hair was tousled, and all she was wearing was a pair of sleep shorts, and one of Eric's dress shirts, only partially buttoned.

Eric walked to where she was, gave her a lingering kiss, muttered "good morning, beautiful," before going through the bedroom to the bathroom. When he came back out, the food had arrived. Alcide and Maria Star were sitting on the couch, and Jason and Lafayette were each in chairs, and they all had coffee, and plates piled high with an assortment of fruit and pasty's. Sookie was sitting on the love seat, a plate of food on the table in front of her. Eric sat down her to her, pulled her close to him, and began to pick at the food. They had the television on with the volume on low, only halfway paying attention.

A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door, and Lafayette answered it, and was followed back into the room by Pam. She grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat down on the floor in front of Alcide and Maria Star. She paid more attention to the television than the others, and turned the volume up and got their attention when the category they would be considered for was beginning.

An official for The Recording Academy was reading off the list of nominees. "For Best Rock Album, Vocal or Instrumental, the nominees are: Black Ice, AC/DC; Live from Madison Square Garden, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood; No Line On The Horizon, U2; About A Girl, The Only Party; and Until The End, Shades of Dawn."

They all sat frozen. None of them could believe that they'd truly just heard the name of their album. But, it seemed the moment wasn't quite over yet.

"For Best Rock Song, the nominees are: 21 Guns, Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, songwriters; Working On A Dream, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen songwriter; Use Somebody, Kings of Leon, Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, and Nathan Followill songwriters; I Don't Think I Love You, Shades of Dawn, Sookie Stackhouse songwriter; and Until The End, Shades of Dawn, Clancy Crane songwriter."

As the announcer moved on to another category, Pam hit the button on the remote to turn the television off. They all had a look of awe on their face, and no one said a word as they gazed at each other. Finally, Lafayette broke the tension by saying, "Oh, hell yes!" loudly, and suddenly, they were all on their feet, hugging each other.

After about 30 minutes of celebrating, Eric kicked everyone out, and pulled Sookie back into bed with him. "I don't know about you, but I could use a couple more hours rest," he said, molding his body to hers.

"I definitely could. Although, I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to sleep with all the excitement we just had," she answered, followed by a huge yawn. Eric just chuckled and nuzzled the back of her neck. Not surprisingly, they both went back to sleep quite quickly.

At 7pm, after a lot more sleep, a round of fantastic sex, and a shower, they met Lafayette and Jason in the hotel lobby. Lafayette let them know that Alcide and Maria Star had opted to stay in for the evening, because Maria hadn't been feeling very well. So, the four of them caught a cab, and within 20 minutes, were pulling up in front of a somewhat small, yet very nice home just outside of downtown Chicago.

When they crawled out of the cab, Sookie began to lead them around the back of the house. As they were walking, Lafayette asked, "Now, whose house is this?"

Jason said, "It's our friend Russell's. When we were in high school, Sook and I had a group of pretty tight knit friends. Russell Edgington, Victor Madden, Stan Davis, and Tara Thornton mainly. Hell, we were pretty much inseparable most of the time."

They rounded the corner to the backyard, which was completely packed with people. A few people greeted them as they made their way through the crowd, until almost out of nowhere, they heard a male voice yell "SOOKIE!" Sookie looked around until she found the man that had shouted her name, and she squealed and launched herself at him.

Her arms were around his neck, her legs around his waist, and they hugged each other tightly as the man spun the two of them in circles. Jason smiled brightly and laughed, until he took in the look on Eric's face. He leaned close to Eric and said, "Dude, you have nothing to worry about. That's Russell, and Sookie and I have been thinking about trying to hook him up with Lafayette." Eric smiled and nodded, obviously getting the picture.

When Russell finally put Sookie back on her feet, she introduced him to Eric and Lafayette. By that time, Tara and Victor had also made their way over, and were introduced as well.

"Hey, congrats on the Grammy nominations," Tara said, smiling.

"Thanks. I still can't believe it. I'm waiting for someone to jump out and yell April Fool's or something," Sookie said. Russell had a full bar set up behind the house, and Eric and Jason each had a beer, while Sookie was working on her second gin and tonic. They heard a sound system kick on, and turned their attention to where a small platform had been set up.

"Can everybody hear me?" Victor Madden said into a microphone. When everyone seemed to answer in the affirmative, he continued, "Good. As most of y'all know, we're all really excited to have Sookie and Jason back in town for a couple of days. Especially now that they're members of a Grammy nominated band!" Everyone cheered loudly. "Now, Sook, Jas, we were kinda hoping that for old time's sakes, you guys would agree to come up and play with us."

Jason and Sookie turned and looked at each other, and it seemed as if they were going to say no. However, Sookie kissed Eric quickly, and she and Jason walked up to the platform with Victor, and were soon followed by Stan. There was a full band set up, and Jason sat down behind the drum set, while Sookie picked up a guitar, Stan pulled on a bass guitar, and Victor stood in front of the mic. Victor said, "Well now, I figured we'd let our guests pick the song," and turned his attention back to Sookie. She looked as if she was deep in thought for a moment, before she smiled, whispered something to both Jason and Stan, and then turned and smirked at Victor.

Without another word, Jason held his sticks in the air, and tapped them together in a count. Sookie hit one chord on her guitar, and Jason began to beat on his drums. It appeared that no one had told Victor what song they'd chosen, but, within a couple of seconds, he smiled, indicating he knew. After a moment of just drums, Sookie began to play, and Eric and Lafayette recognized the beginning of Michael Jackson's 'Beat It.' Everyone in the crowd began cheering loudly.

Russell made his way to where Tara, Lafayette and Eric were standing, and said, "They used to perform this together all the time."

Eric couldn't take his eyes off of Sookie. He was so used to performing _with_ her, that he'd forgotten how amazing it was to watch her from the audience. She was so charismatic, and had this pulsing energy that was impossible to ignore. He chuckled to himself when he realized that she was wearing the exact same outfit she'd worn the first night he ever saw her, black cargo pants, blood red tank top, and black sneakers. "God, she's so beautiful," he said, and Lafayette just smiled.

Once the song was over, Jason and Sookie left the platform and started to slowly make their way through the crowd. Of course, they were stopped several times by old friends saying hello. By the time they reached Lafayette and Eric again, it had been almost 30 minutes. Sookie quickly downed another gin and tonic, and it was becoming very apparent to Eric that she was well on her way to being drunk.

Russell, Stan and Tara were all standing around with Jason, Lafayette, Sookie and Eric, and they were chatting and just generally having a good time. There had been some music playing in the background, and the volume suddenly got louder. A new song began to play, and Russell, Stan, Tara and Jason all groaned and rolled their eyes. Lafayette and Eric looked very confused. Victor walked up to Sookie, bowed a little, and held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment, before shrugging, putting her hand in his, and following him to the area where other couples were dancing.

"What's with the groans?" Lafayette asked.

Jason said, "Victor always puts this song on when he wants to dance with Sookie."

"What is this, anyway? It sounds kinda familiar," Lafayette said.

"It's called After Dark, by Tito and Tarantula," Jason said. But Lafayette and Eric looked a little confused. "Have you ever seen the movie From Dusk 'til Dawn?" he asked them. When they both nodded their heads, he said, "This is the song that plays when Salma Hayek is doing her stripper dance thing right before all the vampires start killing people."

"For some reason, Victor always thinks that dancing with her to this song is gonna get him back in Sookie's pants," Tara said.

"Wait a second," Eric said, "**back** in her pants? As in, he's been there before?"

Tara nodded. "He's the dumb shit that popped her cherry."

Eric's eyes opened wide, and he turned to locate Sookie and Victor. Sookie's body was swaying to the beat, and although it looked like she was having fun, it was obvious she wasn't enjoying it as much as Victor was. Obviously, he didn't do things with subtlety.

When the song ended, Victor had a look on his face as if he expected Sookie to jump him. It quickly turned to one of disappointment however, as she turned and caught Eric's attention. The new song that had begun to play was Lady Gaga's 'Teeth,' and she crooked her finger and beckoned for Eric to join her. He couldn't resist, and walked up to her, his eyes never leaving hers.

When he reached her, she turned her back to him, and he pulled her body flush to his, until there was no air between them. They began to grind into each other with the pulsing beat of the music. The entire world seemed to fade away until only the two of them existed. Eric ran his lips and tongue along the side of her neck, and felt her shiver all over. She reached back, and wrapped her hands around the back of his thighs, and used the leverage to pull him even tighter to her. He felt himself grow even harder, and wondered how he'd get away without fucking her right then with everyone watching.

As if she could read his mind, she suddenly let go of his legs, took his hand in hers, and pulled him toward the house. They were walking so fast that he didn't even get to take in his surroundings. She pulled him into a bedroom, and slammed and locked the door behind them. Her mouth was on his immediately. They were both so far gone with lust for the other, they wouldn't have been able to stop for anything. Suddenly, they were each naked from the waist down. Eric picked Sookie up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, and then he was thrusting into her, hard and fast. They kissed each other over and over again in a kind of frenzy. Neither lasted long, and they continued to hold each other as they tried to catch their breath. After another moment passed, Sookie's feet dropped back down the floor, and she buried her head in Eric's chest. "I think I can honestly say that this has been the best day of my life," she said.

**A/N 2 I was COMPLETELY serious when I said that there would be a pop quiz. Somewhere in this chapter, there is a tiny little crossover to another popular on-going SVM fan fic. And before you all freak out, YES, I have spoken to the author of that fic, and she's given me the okay on this.**

**Your mission is to figure out what the crossover is. I'm posting this chapter at around 4am ET Wednesday, 5/12. Anyone who can correctly identify the crossover info, and what fic it comes from, submitted in a review, will get THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SHADES OF DAWN EMAILED TO THEM 48 HOURS BEFORE IT POSTS! That's right, that means that only me and my Beta will know before YOU what's going to happen. And believe me, it's worth it, because something HUGE is going to happen next chapter! To make this fair, I'm going to say that all guesses/reviews must be submitted by 2PM ET Saturday, May 15. Happy guessing!**

**The music used in this chapter is as follows: Beat It, Fall Out Boy cover of the Michael Jackson classic; After Dark, Tito and Tarantula; Teeth, Lady Gaga. Here's a link to the playlist, which has ALL songs from the fic in the order they appeared. http: // www. playlist. com/ playlist / 19566565643**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N A big thank you to everyone that participated in my little crossover guessing contest. The correct answer was: one of the other albums nominated for a grammy was About a Girl, by The Only Party. The Only Party is a band made of up Eric, Bill, Sam, Lafayette and Alcide in the fic 'Nothing Personal' by ohfortuneslost. If you're not reading, gosh darnit, you should be!**

Two days after their concert in Chicago, the band performed in Milwaukee, and then in Minneapolis the following night. Now, they had a three day break as they made their way to Denver, and then they would finish off the tour in Seattle. It had been a very successful tour, but, everyone was in agreement that they were ready to go home and get back to regular life.

Maria Star hadn't been feeling well since their first night in Chicago, and it had gotten steadily worse since that night. She'd finally seen a doctor while the band was doing their sound check in Milwaukee, and he'd told her that she had a bladder infection that was fairly minor, however, would get worse unless she took antibiotics and got a lot of rest. Her brother flew to Minneapolis, went to the concert with her, and then flew back to Louisiana with her so she could recuperate. Alcide had, in Jason's words, turned into a "first-class party pooper," after she'd left. He didn't want to hang out with the others, and spent the majority of his time reading, or playing games on his laptop. Pam and Eric had discussed what it would mean for the rest of the band if this was the way Alcide acted after he and Maria Star got married. He did, however, lighten up and got back to acting like his old self once they'd left Denver and were heading for Seattle. He told them that he'd simply been harboring guilty feelings about not being able to be there to take care of Maria Star while she was sick.

Boredom had officially set in, due to the monotonous nature of traveling on the bus, so one afternoon, Lafayette decided to get creative. Jason, Alcide, Sookie, and Eric had all been playing 'Go Fish,' but were interrupted when Lafayette dragged Pam to join them.

"Alright now kiddies, it's sharing time. I've found my mind wandering back to the same subject ever since we met Jas and Sook's friends in Chicago. So now, just for the sheer joy of it, everyone is going to tell the story of their first time!" Jason, Pam, and Sookie all laughed, while Alcide and Eric looked unhappy.

"Laf, you already know my story," Alcide said, disgruntled.

"This is true, but Jas, Sook, and Pam don't, so, stop complaining!"

Alcide sighed loudly, before saying, "Fine. I'll go first then. I was 17, my parents were out of town, so my girlfriend Debi stayed the night. There, I'm done."

Eric laughed and shook his head. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away that easy. Tell everyone what happened AFTER Debi stayed the night."

Lafayette was biting down on his lips to keep himself from laughing out loud, when Alcide said, "I don't know what you're talking about," and gave Eric a dirty look.

"Fine, if you won't tell, I sure as hell will," Lafayette said. "They didn't use a condom because Debi was on birth control, and she told Alcide she hadn't had sex with anyone else since before they started dating a year before that. But, the ugly truth came to light when, a week later, Alcide found out she'd given him Chlamydia. Turns out she hadn't quite been faithful."

The rest of the group laughed a little, until Lafayette said, "Pam?"

She arched her eyebrows, and smirked while she said, "I was 15, and had a VERY fun weekend at my parent's beach house with my friends Belinda and Ginger." Jason couldn't resist the urge, and gave Pam a high five.

"Oh, Mr. Stackhouse, if you think that's so impressive, maybe you should go next," Lafayette said.

"I so don't want to hear this story, again," Sookie muttered and laid her head on Eric's shoulder.

"Don't worry, sis, I'll give the watered down version," Jason said, and winked. "I was 16, and it was with a girl from school named Maudette Pickens. We were in her bedroom after school one afternoon, and her dad came home early from work and caught us. I was never welcome at their home again after that day."

After more laughter, Lafayette said, "Eric?"

"It was while I was still living in Sweden. I was 15, and it was with a girl named Felicia, in a closet in the basement of a friend's house while a big group of us were playing truth or dare." He turned to Sookie and said, "What about you, sweetheart?"

It was obvious by the looks on their faces that **this** was the story Lafayette and Eric had been waiting for. "It was like a week before my 18th birthday. I'd never had a boyfriend before, and had only ever kissed one boy. Jas and I had a pretty tight group of friends, and I was the only one who was still a virgin. Our friend, Victor, had just broken up with his girlfriend, Sandy Seacrest. She started telling everyone that he was horrible in bed, and it made me mad to hear people making fun of him behind his back. So, I figured what the hell, and slept with him at his place one Saturday night while his parents were out of town. When we got back to school on Monday, I told anyone who would listen that he was a total Casanova, and had really rocked my world."

"Was it the truth?" Pam asked.

"Oh, hell no. He was three pump chump."

Everyone laughed loudly at this revelation. Finally, Lafayette said, "Well, I guess that just leaves me then. I was 14, and it was with Ellie Hopper in the basement of her parent's house."

Jason said, "Dude, you had sex with a girl?"

Lafayette laughed and answered, "Just the one time. That's all it took for me to realize it wasn't something I'd **EVER** want to do again!"

Everyone laughed again. After a minute, Eric said, "You know what, though? I think Clancy's story beats the rest." Lafayette and Alcide nodded, and motioned for Eric to continue. "He'd been going out with this chick, Indira, for like a year. He'd planned on taking her to their senior prom, but, her grandmother died, and she was in India for the funeral the weekend of the prom. After she got back, he borrowed a truck from a friend, and took her up to Amelia's cabin by Mimosa Lake. When he got there, the cabin was locked, and he realized he didn't have his key. So, they ended up doing it in the backseat of the truck."

Jason's face twisted into a look of pure disgust, and he said, "Oh no. Please tell me you're bull shitting me."

"No, why?" Eric asked.

"Dude, that was MY truck he borrowed!"

They all laughed the hardest at that. "Why did he and Indira break up, anyway?" Alcide asked once the laughter had died down.

"Just before we left on tour, he told her that he didn't think that it would be right of him to ask her to wait for him. He told her that he loved her, and that he really didn't want to be with anyone else, but, that he couldn't bring himself to ask her to be faithful while we were gone. She told him that it was his decision, but, that even if they weren't officially still together, she'd stay true to him, or whatever. Yeah, until three weeks into the tour he found out that she was already dating somebody else," Lafayette explained.

"Hey, Laf, don't be so hard on her. I think that if he hadn't more or less given her the 'go-ahead' to date someone else, she wouldn't have. Amelia and I saw her about two weeks before we left on this tour. She's married now, and she has little boy. His name is Clancy," Eric said, sounding sad.

Sookie took his hand in hers, and squeezed. For the rest of the drive to Seattle, they all shared stories about Clancy. Some made them laugh, some made them cry. But, all of them helped them to remember just how much they'd loved him, and how they missed him.

Sookie knew that this concert would be the hardest for Eric. The closer they got to Seattle, the more anxious he became. She did everything she could think of to help him calm down. Once they finally arrived at their hotel, he lay down to take a nap before sound check, and Sookie called Amelia, asking for her input. After a nice 45 minute conversation, Sookie was fairly certain she had a good plan. She talked to Lafayette, Jason, Alcide, and Pam about it, and they gave it their stamp of approval. When she woke Eric up for sound check, she pitched the idea to him. In response, he simply pulled her into his arms, and held her tight.

The majority of the concert went just as normally as all their others had. They finished up, left the stage, and then came back for their standard two song encore. After the second song, however, they did something they hadn't done before. In the particular venue they were performing in, the audience couldn't get any closer than 4 feet from the front of the stage. So, they all sat down on the edge, with their legs hanging off. Jason had his acoustic guitar with him, and plugged it into an amp, and Eric kept his mic.

"You know, normally, this is where we'd end for the night," Eric told the audience. "But, we're going to do something a little different tonight. As I'm sure most of you know, last time that Shades of Dawn was here in Seattle, we had to cancel the concert due to the tragic, untimely death of Clancy." His voice had begun to quaver slightly, so he took a moment to compose himself. "Clancy was more than just a cousin to me, he was like my brother. So, we'd like to do one more song tonight." He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, before looking up at the ceiling, and said, "Clancy, this one's for you."

Jason began to play on his guitar, and the haunting sound of 'Simple Man' filled the auditorium. Eric slowly lifted the mic, and began to sing.

_Mama told when I was young; Said sit beside me, my only son._

_And listen closely to what I say; And if you do this, it'll help you, some sunny day._

It was obvious to Sookie and Lafayette that Eric was struggling to hold himself together. Lafayette, who was sitting on Eric's left side, lifted his hand and placed it on Eric's shoulder, giving him support. Sookie, on Eric's right, wrapped her arm around his, and placed her hand on his knee. They both sang along with him.

_Oh take your time, don't live too fast; Troubles will come and they will pass._

_You'll find a woman, and you'll find love; And don't forget that, there is a someone up above._

Jason and Alcide joined in, so they were all singing together, even though Eric's was the only voice the microphone was picking up.

_Be a simple kind of man, be something you love and understand._

_Baby be a simple kind of man, won't you do this for me son, if you can._

Many members of the audience began singing as well, and everywhere he looked, Eric could see lighters being held up in the air.

_Forget your lust, for the rich man's gold; All that you need is in your soul._

_And you can do this, oh baby, if you try; All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied._

_Be a simple kind of man, be something you love and understand._

_Baby be a simple kind of man, won't you do this for me son, if you can._

_Oh don't you worry, you'll find yourself; Follow your heart, and nothing else._

_And you can do this, if you try; All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied._

_Be a simple kind of man, be something you love and understand._

_Baby be a simple kind of man, won't you do this for me son, if you can._

_So baby be a simple, be a simple man. Won't you do this for me son, if you can?_

After the concert, Pam had taken them all to dinner at a very nice seafood restaurant downtown.  
By the time they walked hand-in-hand into their hotel room, Eric and Sookie were both exhausted. Sookie washed her face and brushed her teeth while Eric changed into a pair of sleep pants, and then she changed into a very pretty white lace nightgown while Eric made use of the bathroom.

She was already in bed when he came out, and he lay down behind her, and pulled her body to his, spooning her. She turned so that she was facing him, and said, "Eric, I'm so proud of you. I can't even begin to understand how hard this last show was for you, but you were wonderful."

He kissed her softly, and pressed his forehead to hers. "I couldn't have done it without you, lover." Then, despite their mutual exhaustion, he rolled her onto her back, and proceeded to kiss every inch of her body, before slowly making love to her. Later, as she slept in his arms, he came to understand just how quickly he was truly falling for her.

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Eric was absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel of his Corvette as he waited for the traffic light to turn green. He turned to look at Lafayette, who was in the passenger seat. Lafayette's Mazda had started having engine problems as soon as they got back from their tour, and he'd left it with his mechanic two days prior. Eric was now driving him to pick it up.

"So," Eric said, "I'm gonna ask Sookie to move in with me."

Lafayette's head snapped around, and he looked completely shocked. "Well, hello there Mr. Random. Where the hell did that come from?"

Eric laughed. "Sorry, I really couldn't think of a better way to bring it up."

"Well, I'm happy for you, Eric. But, are you sure you're really ready to take that step? We've known each other a long time, and, let's face it, you're a bit of a commitment phobe."

Eric nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. I have a problem making commitments. But, it just feels right with her, Laf. I've never been this happy with anyone else. I love her, man."

Before Lafayette had the chance to comment, Eric's cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he smiled at the caller ID when he saw it was Amelia calling.

"Hello, love. What's up?"

"Eric, listen, something pretty important has come up. Can you come over?" Her tone was very serious.

"Yeah, sure. I'm taking Lafayette to get his car from the shop, and then I was going to pick Sookie up. Is it okay with you if she comes along?"

"That would probably be better, actually."

"Alright, well, give me like 20 minutes and we'll be there."

Twenty-five minutes later, Eric and Sookie pulled into drive-way of Amelia's home. There was a strange car they'd never seen before parked there as well, and Sookie said it looked like a rental car. They walked into the house, and found Amelia sitting on the love seat, and a tall, blonde man with his back to them. Eric froze when the man turned around.

"What's going on? Why are you here?" Eric asked the man.

"Eric, watch your manners," Amelia chided him. "I believe introductions are in order," she said, indicating Sookie.

Eric glared at the man for another moment, before turning to Sookie. "Sookie, this is Alexander Northman, my father."

Sookie gasped. She'd never in a million years thought she'd ever come face to face with either of Eric's parents. She knew that Eric truly hated his mother, and was fairly ambivalent about his father. They had never been close. She walked across the room and extended her hand to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Northman," she said.

He smiled down at her and shook her hand firmly. "The pleasure is all mine, Sookie. And, please, call me Alex. I must say, the photographs I've seen of you do not do your beauty justice."

She blushed, and went to take a seat next to Eric on the sofa. She took a good look at Alex Northman, and knew that she was seeing exactly what Eric would look like in 25 years.

"Well, I guess it's best to get right to the point," Alex said once they were all comfortable. "Eric, I've already informed Amelia of this, so, let me speak directly to you, for a moment." He waited for Eric to indicate he was listening. "Your mother is dead. She found out about 4 months ago that she had end stage breast cancer, and her doctors told her she didn't have much time left. Since she had no other next of kin in Sweden, it became my responsibility to take care of her things after she passed."

He picked up a box off the floor. "Amelia, there are a few jewelry pieces here that had belonged to your mother and grandmother, and I assumed you would probably want them." He handed a few things to Amelia, and she gratefully took them. Alex then pulled a photo album out of the box. "Eric, this is an album of photos of you from when you were very young. I wasn't sure if you would want to keep them, but, I figured if you did not, your aunt most likely would, so, I brought them as well." He leaned forward and handed the album to Eric, who took a moment to gaze at the cover, and then put it down on the coffee table without looking through it at all.

Alex then pulled the final item out of the box. It was a small book, and Alex put it on his lap, and laid his hand over the cover, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Amelia, I'm fairly certain that your sister never anticipated anyone ever seeing this. However, once I'd read it, I knew I had to bring it to you. This was her journal. I don't think that any of us ever actually believed that she was anything but selfish, but, I must admit that even I was surprised by some of the things I've read. Eric, I know that you were aware that she tried to use your band's success to her own credit. She lied to reporters about how proud she was of her son and nephew, and how important you and Clancy were to her.

"When the actual truth of the matter came out, she was mortified. She became a bit of a public laughing stock. And, as was her way, she of course became very bitter about the entire situation. Proving, once again, that she had absolutely no shame, she set about trying to come up with a way to humiliate you in the public eye, as well. Tell me, Eric, do you remember the Stonebrook family?"

Eric nodded and said, "Yes, I do. I was in the same grade as Mark, and I remember that his younger sister used to follow me around like a little lost puppy. I believe her name was Hallow?" He looked to his father for confirmation, and Alex nodded. Sookie snorted slightly, and Eric turned to her and said, "Yeah, I know, bad name. Mother was friends with their parents, but, I don't remember them very much. She was always trying to push us together at social occasions, but, I couldn't stand either of them."

"Yes, well, your mother and Mrs. Stonebrook stayed friends until Mrs. Stonebrook was killed in a car accident about five years ago," Alex said. "She kept in touch with Hallow, however. She knew that Hallow always had a big crush on you, and was very upset that you would never give her the time of day. I guess that your mother figured that, since Hallow was scorned by your disinterest, that she'd make a good partner.

"I found several letters between the two of them in a desk, which confirmed everything in the journal. Apparently, they decided that Hallow would come to the United States, find a way to get close enough to you, then arrange for some very embarrassing pictures to be taken, and they would of course end up in the hands of the press. Hallow tried to get close to you, but, was unsuccessful, until she followed your band to Seattle."

Sookie saw both Eric and Amelia suddenly become very tense. She knew that whatever was coming would be devastating to both of them.

"Hallow knew enough about you to assume that you would spend the evening drinking and flirting with various women, and was quite mad when she saw Clancy leave the hotel without you. She followed him to a bar, where she introduced herself. Her letters didn't say how she achieved it, but, somehow she got Clancy to take her back to his hotel room." Sookie felt a pit open up in her stomach. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest of the story. "In her letter, she described how she was able to talk Clancy into sampling cocaine. Once it was in his system, he became quite powerless to say no to anything she wanted. When she left his room early the next morning, she knew that he had overdosed. He was, however, still alive at that time. If she had called for an ambulance, he might've been saved. However, she simply left him to die, saying that it would serve you right for the way you'd treated her.

"The journal seems to indicate that, although your mother wanted to see you humiliated, she never imagined that Hallow would take things as far as she did. I found no other evidence of communication between the two after your mother found out that Hallow was responsible for Clancy's death. I truly believe that she felt guilty for what had happened." He set the journal down on the coffee table, and stood. "When I discovered this information, I did a little research, and learned that Hallow decided to stay in the country, and is living in Tacoma. I made a copy of the journal entries, and the letters, and turned them over to the Seattle Police Department, and they assured me that they would launch a full investigation. So, do not be surprised if you hear from them, soon."

He walked to where Amelia was sitting, and put his hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. But, I knew that it wouldn't be right to keep it to myself." And with that, he walked out the front door, and left the rest of them in total silence.

**A/N The song used in this chapter is Simple Man. It was originally recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the one I hear in my head is a cover by Shinedown. I would HIGHLY recommend listening to it, to really feel the emotions I think that Eric would've felt while singing about Clancy. It's actually one of two songs that were my inspiration for writing this fic. You can find the video at: www. Youtube . com / watch?v=rgFQ6WmxdMs. Make sure to remove the spaces.**


	13. Chapter 13

Sookie stood, leaning against a wall near the luggage carousel of the Shreveport Airport. She checked the flight arrivals screen once again, and glanced down at her watch. The flight that Eric and Amelia had taken from Seattle had been on the ground for ten minutes, so she expected to see them any minute.

Less than five days after Eric's father told them of the circumstances surrounding Clancy's death, Amelia had received a phone call from the Assistant District Attorney who was handling the case. It seemed they had brought Hallow in for questioning, and once she saw that they had the journal and all the letters, she made a full confession. Amelia and Eric decided they would fly up and be there in court to see her receive her sentence. However, because the court schedule had been quite full, that didn't happen for another 6 weeks.

Although Amelia seemed to be coping with the news they'd received, Eric was devastated. He'd become completely withdrawn, and only rarely left his house. Sookie spent as much time with him as she could, but, he mostly just lay in his bed, or sat in a recliner, and hardly ever spoke. The other band members came to visit a few times, but after a while, Alcide and Jason just stopped coming. They just didn't know how to handle the situation.

Because of his height, Sookie was able to find Eric quite easily when a crowd of people made their way into the baggage claim area from the terminals. He had a blank look on his face, which unfortunately was beginning to be the norm. Amelia walked besides him, and she had her arm linked with his. When they got to where Sookie was, Amelia pulled her into a fierce embrace, and Eric said he would get their baggage, and walked over to one of the carousels.

"How it go?" Sookie asked Amelia as they watched Eric.

"It was sort of surreal. I'd never seen the woman before, but, when she was first brought into the courtroom, it was like a volt of electricity rushed through Eric's body, he just became so tense. Hallow plead guilty to depraved indifference, and distribution of a controlled substance. She'll serve 5 years in prison here, and then immediately be deported back to Sweden, and is never allowed to enter the country again."

"That's not nearly as bad as she deserves, but, I gotta say, it's better than nothing," Sookie observed.

"Amen to that," Amelia added wryly.

"What about Eric?" Sookie asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. "How'd he take her sentence?"

"Well, it was obvious that he was glad to see that she'll pay for her crimes. But, you know him; he still thinks this whole thing is his own fault. No matter how many times I tell him that he couldn't have known how vindictive Hallow and his mother were, he still thinks he's responsible."

Sookie had to temporarily swallow her response as Eric came to join them, a duffle bag swung over each shoulder. The three of them made their way into the parking area, and loaded themselves into Sookie's car. They remained in silence the entire way to Amelia's home. Sookie stayed in the car while Eric carried Amelia's bag into the house for her, and then came back to the car.

When they were back on the road to Eric's place, Sookie decided it was time to try to talk.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

Sookie sighed. "Eric, listen, I know that this whole thing has been incredibly hard for you. I'm sure I can't even begin to understand what you must be feeling." She reached over and took his hand in hers. "I want to help you. But, I can't do that if you won't let me in."

Eric stayed silent for another moment before he finally spoke. "I know, Sook. I know that you're trying to be there for me. And believe me, I do appreciate all the effort. I'm just not ready to really talk about it, yet. When I am, though, trust me, it'll be with you."

He squeezed her hand a little, and they sank back into silence.

Over the next four weeks, Eric slowly began acting like himself again. He still wouldn't talk about Clancy or his mother, but, he'd stopped being a hermit. He and Sookie hadn't made love since before his father's visit, but, he had asked her to stay the night a few times. He would hold her close as they slept, and she was simply relieved to be back in his arms.

And so, it came as a complete surprise when he told her one afternoon that he was going out of town for a couple of weeks.

"Eric, what do you mean you need to get away?"

"Sook, I know that I need to move on and get back to the business of living. But, I can't seem to do that right now. I think that I need to get away from everything, and hopefully find some kind of closure."

"Okay, and what is it you plan on doing?"

"I'm gonna go to Sweden. I need to be able to visit my mother's grave, and show her that despite all of her scheming, I'm still here, I'm still standing."

Sookie didn't understand. She couldn't honestly see how this would be at all beneficial. But, she knew that she had to allow him to do this. At least he was making the effort to heal.

"Okay. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No!" he said a little too quickly. "Not that I wouldn't love to take you there sometime and show you where I lived as a child. I just, well, I need to do this on my own."

"How long do you plan on being gone?"

"Ten days. Two weeks at the most, I guess."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"Well, she's buried at a small cemetery not far from Stockholm. I'm still in touch with one friend that I went to school with while I was living there. His name is Kristofer. He has a place on the outskirts of the city, and he's always said that if I ever come to town, I could stay with him."

"Well, that'll be nice, then. Have you seen him at all since you moved here?"

"Only once, and it was a very short visit. A couple of years ago, he had to attend some kind of conference in Dallas for his job. I flew down there for a night and we went to dinner and caught up a little."

"Okay. So, when do you want to leave?"

"I've actually already booked my flight. I leave tomorrow morning."

Sookie found that she needed to sit down. Everything seemed to be so sudden. "When did you do that?" she asked, afraid that she didn't really want to know the answer.

"A couple of days ago. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before now. I know that you've been having fun helping Maria Star with her wedding plans, and, I just didn't want to get in the way of that."

She moved to stand next to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Eric, please don't ever feel like you're in the way. You matter more to me than helping Mar decide if she wants chicken or pork served at her rehearsal dinner."

He laughed a little, and nodded. She helped him get packed, and promised to stop by his place every day to water his one houseplant, and pick up his mail. She'd hoped that he would allow her to spend the night, since they wouldn't be seeing each other for a while. But, he told her that he would need to leave for the airport very early in the morning, and didn't want her to lose any sleep. So, she very reluctantly left him with kiss.

For the first three days that he was gone, Eric would call Sookie twice a day and she even got to speak with his friend Kristofer for a few minutes. He seemed like a pretty decent guy, but, his accent was very thick, and his English wasn't so stellar. The fourth day, Eric told Sookie that he and Kristofer were going to travel to visit a few of their childhood friends, so, he would be out of touch for a while. She was disappointed, but, she tried to hide it from him. He sounded happier than he had in a while, and Sookie just kept telling herself that was all that mattered.

On the sixth day, Sookie got a phone call from Amelia. She had decided that it was finally time to go through Clancy's bedroom and clean it all out, and wondered if Sookie would help her. She, of course, agreed, and headed over.

When she first followed Amelia into the bedroom, she wasn't at all surprised to find that it was very clean. Eric had told her that Amelia would go in every so often and vacuum, and run a duster over everything. But, she knew that Amelia hadn't been able to bring herself to change anything.

"Okay darlin', this is your show. Just tell me what you want me to do," Sookie said after a moment.

"Well, I know that there's quite a bit in here that can actually be thrown away. I think that I'll donate the majority of the clothes to the Salvation Army."

Amelia began pulling things from drawers, and after deciding whether or not it was trash, Sookie would put it in one of several piles. Amelia had a story to go along with almost everything they looked at. Sookie was very happy to see that most of the memories made Amelia smile, and only a few were accompanied with tears.

Around midday, Sookie took a load of clothes to drop off, and picked up some Chinese take-out. Because it was a beautiful day, the two women ate lunch on the patio in the back yard. Amelia was just asking Sookie about Eric when Sookie's cell phone began to ring.

She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller id. She smiled up at Amelia, "Well, speak of the devil!" She hit the button on her phone to answer, put it on speaker, and set it down in the middle of the table. "Hey, honey, what's up?"

"Sookie. How are you?" Eric sounded somewhat distant, and more than a little depressed.

"I'm okay. I've been helping Amelia clean out Clancy's room."

"Wow, she finally decided to do it, huh. That's good, I guess."

"Yeah, I think it is. Eric, you don't sound so good."

"I went to my mother's grave yesterday. I had a bit of a rough night."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help."

Eric sighed loudly. "Sookie, we need to talk about something."

Sookie didn't like the sound of that, but said, "Sure, go ahead," anyway.

"Sook, this isn't gonna work."

She was confused. "What's not gonna work, Eric?"

"Us."

Amelia made a move to stand and walk away, but Sookie grabbed her hand, and pleaded with her eyes for Amelia to stay. "Why do you say that, Eric?"

"Sookie, you just deserve so much better. I can't make you happy."

"Eric, you already **do** make me happy."

"I know, and that's why I want us to go back to being friends. But, we shouldn't be romantically involved anymore."

A single tear fell down her cheek, and as Sookie reached up to wipe it away, she whispered, "I don't understand."

"Sookie, I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't, Eric."

"I already have," he said ominously.

"What do you mean?"

"I fucked somebody else last night, Sookie."

She put her hand over her heart, almost as if testing to make sure it hadn't stopped beating. She ached everywhere. "No," she whimpered.

"Sookie, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Listen, I gotta go, I'll call you when I'm back in town," and he hung up.

After he ended the call, Eric rested his head in his hands. He'd never felt more terrible in his entire life. In a moment of pure rage, he stood, grabbed the almost empty bottle of whiskey he'd been nursing, and yelled as he threw it against the wall, sending broken glass everywhere.

He gingerly walked to the piano that sat in the center of the room, and began to play. After a couple of beats, he began to sing.

_Wrap me in a bolt of lightning; Send me on my way still smiling_

_Maybe that's the way I should go; Straight into the mouth of the unknown_

_Left the spare key on the table; Never really thought I'd be able_

_To say I merely visit on the weekend; I lost my whole life and a dear friend_

_I've said it so many times; I would change my ways_

_No never mind; God knows I've tried_

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint; Tell me it's over I'll still love you the same_

_Call me your favorite, call me the worst; Tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt_

_It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way_

_I finally put it all together; that nothing really lasts forever_

_I had to make a choice that was not mine; I had to say goodbye for the last time_

_I kept my whole life in a suitcase; Never really stayed in one place_

_Maybe that's the way it should be; You know I've led my life like a gypsy_

_I've said it so many times; I would change my ways you_

_No never mind; God knows I've tried_

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint; Tell me it's over I'll still love you the same_

_Call me your favorite, call me the worst; Tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt_

_It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way_

_I'll always keep you inside; You healed my heart and my life_

_And you know I tried_

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint; Tell me it's over I'll still love you the same_

_Call me your favorite, call me the worst; Tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt_

_It's all that I can say, so I'll be on my way_

As the final notes reverberated around the room, he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. He turned to see Kristofer leaning in a doorway, listening to him.

"What the fuck brought that on?" Kristofer asked him, indicating both the song he'd been singing, and the broken bottle.

"I just broke up with Sookie."

"Why?"

"I told her I'd slept with someone else."

Kristofer's eyes widened. "So, you lied to her?"

Eric answered, "Yeah, I did."

**A/N At the end of the previous chapter, I said that Simple Man was one of two songs that inspired this fic. The song Eric wrote in Sweden is the other. It's Call Me, by Shinedown. HOWEVER, the version is not the album version. They did an iTunes session, and the recording of this song that they did is absolutely PHENOMENAL. Go here to see it ****http: / www .youtube .com**** / watch?v=jI0-3PIYeUk**


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own any of the characters, music, or lyrics in this fic. I do however, read the books often, and listen to the music lots and lots!**

Three days after his phone call with Sookie, Eric woke to the sound of someone banging on the apartment's front door. He yelled for Kristofer, hoping that he'd answer the door and the pounding would stop. But, when he received no answer, he glanced down at his watch. It was 10:30am, so, Kristofer would've already left for work. Eric grudgingly rose and made his way to the door.

'_This had better be pretty damned important,'_ he thought to himself. He lifted a hand to gently rub his temples. '_Am I hung over, or still drunk?'_ His thoughts were interrupted by another round of banging.

"Håll dig hästar, jag kommer rövhöl!" (Hold your horses, I'm coming asshole) he shouted. He flipped the deadbolt and yanked the door open. "Fuck," he muttered softly when he saw who his visitor was. "Come on in."

Amelia followed Eric into the apartment, and took a moment to gaze around while he relocked the door. She rolled her eyes and followed him as he stumbled into the kitchen and swallowed a couple of aspirin, chasing it with a large glass of water. After a moment, she said, "Show me where the coffee maker is, and I'll get a pot going while you shower and brush your teeth. You smell like a walking bar urinal."

He handed her a can of coffee grounds and a paper filter, and left her to go to the bathroom. He turned the shower on, giving the water time to warm up while he brushed his teeth. He took a moment to gaze at himself in the mirror as he set his toothbrush back down. He had a substantial amount of beard stubble, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. With more conviction than he'd shown in weeks, he turned the water in the shower to a much colder temperature, and climbed in.

Amelia was buttering a piece of toast when Eric walked back into the kitchen 20 minutes later. He smelled much better, and she was somewhat surprised to see that he'd taken the time to shave. She put a mug of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of him as he sat down at the table. He looked a little disgusted at the smell of the eggs, but she glared at him, so he picked up a fork and began to eat. She brought a plate and mug of her own to the table, and they ate in silence.

Finally, Eric said, "Did Kristofer know you were coming?"

"I spoke with him yesterday."

Eric nodded. "How long do you plan to stay?"

"I have reservations for a flight tomorrow," she answered while taking her plate to the sink. "And you'll be coming with me."

Eric was on his feet and next to her in an instant. "Wait just a damn minute now, Amelia. I know that you took me in and took care of me when you didn't have to. But, I'm an adult now. You cannot make decisions for me."

Amelia set her plate down, and turned to face Eric. She took a long, deep breath before speaking again. "I realize that, Eric. But, if you want to be treated like an adult, then you sure as hell better start ACTING like one, because right now, you're acting like a five year old."

They stood in silence for a moment, simply staring each other down. Then, almost out of nowhere, Eric bent and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him in a firm embrace.

"I missed you," he said.

"I missed you, too, hon," she answered, her voice thick with emotion. "Eric," she said hesitantly, "Is it a nice cemetery?" She knew she didn't need to explain her question, he would understand.

He pulled back enough to look at her as he spoke. "It is, actually. Kristofer said that the grounds crew takes good care of it, and maintains it well."

"I'd like to go there this afternoon, would you take me?"

She saw the hesitation in his expression. She knew it wasn't something he was looking forward to doing. But, after another moment, he nodded.

"I can't say that I liked the person my sister became after she graduated from high school and moved here. In fact, in light of, recent developments," she watched as Eric cringed, "I can honestly say that I'm glad I'll never have to see her again. However, she **was** my sister. And, growing up, we had some good times. I have to say goodbye."

"I had every intention of standing there and telling her how, despite all of her wicked scheming, I was still standing. I was still okay. But, when I got there, I just couldn't do it."

"Eric," Amelia said, "That's because you're **NOT** okay. Honestly, after what your father told us, no one expected for you to just go back to life as it was before. But, it's also not good for you to completely withdraw from society, and just stay within yourself all the time. That's not fair to you, and it's not fair to any of the people who care about you."

Eric dropped back into his chair, and ran a hand through his hair. "I know that the way I've been acting lately is hurting everyone. But, I honestly can't find it in myself to go on living just for the sake of everyone else. Right now, I feel like I have nothing to go on for."

Amelia sat down and put her hand over Eric's as it rested on the table. "Eric, you're right, you can't live for everyone else. You have to do what is right for you. I understand that, believe me I do. But, to be perfectly honest, when you say that you have nothing to go on for, that's nothing but a big pile of bull shit.

"You have the band. You have music that is beautiful, and haunting, and inspired in ways no one could have ever imagined. You have fans that literally worship the very ground you walk on. You have friends that care very much about you, and want nothing more than to see you happy again.

"You have a wonderful, beautiful, amazing, loving girlfriend who cares **very** deeply for you."

Eric laughed humorlessly. "No, I don't have that anymore. We broke up, remember?"

"Ahh, yes. That reminds me," Amelia said before raising her hand and swiftly slapping Eric across the cheek. He was shocked at first, and then hung his head and closed his eyes.

"I take it that was for cheating on her?"

"No, that wasn't for cheating on her Eric. That was for lying and telling her you cheated when it wasn't actually true."

Eric's head shot up like a rocket. He narrowed his eyes and took a moment to gauge the situation. "Did Kristofer tell you that?"

Amelia laughed again. "He didn't need to. Eric, I was there with Sookie when you spoke to her on the phone." Eric nodded, indicating he was aware of that. "But, what you probably don't know is that she had you on speaker phone. I heard the whole thing. You know, after you ended the call, the very first thing Sookie said is 'he's lying.' Eric, did you honestly think that she would believe that? You may be many things, darlin', and not all of them good, but one thing that you are **not**, is unfaithful."

"But, then, why was she crying?" Amelia's brow furrowed a little, and Eric added, "Yes, I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was crying."

"And were you surprised? Eric, regardless of whether or not she believed your explanation as to WHY, you were still breaking up with her. Obviously she was going to be upset. She cares very deeply for you, and it's killing her that she can't figure out how to help you. And, you just keep pushing her away."

"I have to push her away. If I don't, I'm going to end up hurting her even more in the long run. No matter what I do, or how hard I try, I always hurt those I love the most."

"So, you think that just because she could possibly get hurt somewhere along the line, you two shouldn't be together?"

"Precisely."

Amelia sighed with exasperation. "Eric, are you even hearing how absolutely absurd you sound? I tell ya what, think about it this way. You know that after Tray's death, Jason and Sookie's mother has had some major emotional problems, right?" She paused and waited a moment, only continuing after Eric had nodded. "Okay. When you guys were in Chicago, they were supposed to go to their mother's birthday party, however, it was cancelled because she didn't want to see them because they remind her too much of Tray. Now, with that scenario in mind, do you think that Sookie should just give up, and not try to have a relationship with her mother anymore?"

"Absolutely not. I know that each and every time she's rejected by her mother it breaks Sookie's heart, but, if they are ever able to reconcile, it'll all be worth it in the end."

"Then why can't the two of you have that in **your** relationship?"

"Those are two completely differently scenarios, Amelia."

"No, Eric, they really aren't. I know you're hurting, and that it's going to take a lot of time for you to heal. But, you'll **never** be able to tell your mother that she failed in her mission unless you actually **begin** the healing process. Now, I'm pretty tired from the flight, would it be alright it I laid down and took a nap on your bed?"

Eric nodded, and stood. "Sure. Just let me go straighten up the room a little bit." Eric made up the bed in the guestroom he'd been staying it, took the various empty alcohol bottles to the trash, and sprayed air freshener and opened the windows to rid the room of the smell it had been inundated with. About 15 minutes later, he walked out to the living room to find Amelia sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of ice water, with a familiar looking notebook in her hand.

"It's all ready, so go ahead and lay down."

Amelia smiled as she stood and followed him to the bedroom. He turned to leave, and just as he was closing the door behind him, she spoke again.

"Eric, wait." She hesitated and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "She'll probably be mad at me when she finds out I did this, but, there's something that I think you should see. I think it might help you to make a decision." She opened the notebook and began flipping through the pages. As Eric saw pages with Sookie's handwriting, he realized why he recognized the notebook. It was where Sookie wrote her thoughts about various things, and also where she wrote songs. It was the closest thing to a journal she had.

"Sookie wrote this two days before you broke up with her. Think about it, okay?" Amelia handed the notebook to Eric. He took it, shut the door, and went to sit back down in the living room. He sat for a moment, trying to find the courage to read what she'd written. Finally, he allowed his eyes to drift down to the words on the page. Instead of a title, the top simply read, _For Eric._

_Dead star shine, Light up the sky; I'm all out of breath, my walls are closing in_

_Days go by, Give me a sign; Come back to the end, the shepherd of the damned_

_I can feel you falling away; No longer the lost, no longer the same_

_And I can see you starting to break; I'll keep you alive, if you show me the way_

_Forever, and ever, the scars will remain_

_I'm falling apart; Don't leave me here forever in the dark_

_Daylight dies, blackout the sky; Does anyone care, is anybody there?_

_Take this life, empty inside; I'm already dead, I'll rise to fall again_

_I can feel you falling away; No longer the lost, No longer the same_

_And I can see you starting to break; I'll keep you alive, if you show me the way_

_Forever, and ever, the scars will remain_

_I'm falling apart; Don't leave me here forever in the dark_

_God help me, I've come undone, out of the light of the sun_

_God help me I've come undone, out of the light of the sun_

_I can feel you falling away; No longer the lost, No longer the same_

_And I can see you starting to break; I'll keep you alive, if you show me the way_

_Forever, and ever, the scars will remain_

_I'm falling apart; Don't leave me here forever in the dark_

_Give me a sign, there's something buried in the words_

_Give me a sign, your tears are adding to the flood_

_Give me a sign, there's something buried in the words_

_Give me a sign, your tears are adding to the flood_

_Forever, and ever, the scars will remain_

Eric slowly ran his hands over the page, feeling the slight indentation the pen had made on the paper. He felt an entirely new wave of guilt wash over him. It had never occurred to him that Sookie would feel like a failure, simply because she was unable to bring Eric out of his current state. He smiled wryly to himself, thinking of the irony of it all. Eric, through no fault of his own, always seemed to break those around him. Sookie would stop at nothing until she fixed those around her who were broken. _'Oh, what a pair we made,'_ he thought.

He stretched himself out on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling. He missed her desperately. But, he was still convinced that he'd done the right thing. Alright, maybe he hadn't done it in the very best way, but, he had good intentions. He knew that, had he given her any other excuse or reason for the break-up, she wouldn't have let it happen. The only way he would truly be able to end it was if he said he'd been unfaithful. He knew that what Bill had done to Sookie shattered her. He regretted hurting her, but still thought that in the long run, it was really for the best.

He allowed himself to wallow in his own self-loathing until Amelia came wandering out two hours later. She took a few minutes to freshen up, and then the two of them made their way down to the building's small parking garage. Kristofer owned a car, however, he prefer to walk to work, so he left it for Eric to use if he needed. They remained in silence during the drive to the cemetery.

When they got out of the car, Eric offered Amelia his arm, and she very gladly took it, holding on as if her life depended on it. They slowly walked over the grass, taking care to not step on any of the flat headstones. Finally, they reached their destination. A small, grey headstone stood about two feet out of the ground. The black carving simply read, '_Felicia Broadway Northman. 1966-2010.'_

Amelia let go of Eric's arm, and knelt down in front of the headstone. Eric took a step back, trying to give her at least the small semblance of privacy. When he saw her head bow slightly, he knew she was saying a silent prayer. A couple of moments later, she lifted her head, and put her hand on the stone. "I hope that in death you are finally able to find the peace you never allowed yourself to have in life," she said softly. She stood, and after she hugged Eric, they made their way back to the car.

They had only been back at the apartment for an hour when Kristofer got home from work. He and Amelia had never met face to face, but they'd both heard countless stories about each other, and were glad to finally meet. The three of them went out to dinner, and Kristofer and Amelia amused themselves by sharing very embarrassing stories about Eric. When they arrived back at the apartment again, it was already 11pm. Amelia said she was ready to go to bed, because she'd need to be at the airport by 8am the next morning. After much arguing, she finally agreed to sleep in the bed in the guestroom while Eric took the couch. Although the couch wasn't all that comfortable, the day had been exhausting, and Eric fell into a deep sleep quite easily.

_He was sitting on a log in front of a roaring fire by the cabin at Mimosa Lake. Eric took in a large breath and smiled at the familiar, comforting scent. He heard the sounds of footsteps, and was not entirely surprised to see Clancy sit down next to him._

"_I'm dreaming," Eric said._

"_No shit, genius," Clancy answered and smiled._

"_Well, it's nice to see that even in death you haven't lost your attitude," Eric said, and they both laughed._

"_It's not your fault, you know, Eric. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything," Clancy said out of the blue a moment later._

"_Sure it is. If it wasn't for my scheming bitch of a mother, you'd still be alive."_

"_Exactly. You just proved my point. It was her fault, not yours."_

"_She wouldn't have done it if she weren't mad at me."_

"_Is that seriously the excuse you're gonna go with, dude? Your mother lied to the world about her relationship with you, so you set the record straight, so she decided to get revenge. She teamed up with some super psycho who wanted to humiliate you, but ended up killing me instead. How the hell is that your fault?"_

"_If I'd handled things differently, maybe I could've…"_

"_Oh, just shut the fuck up, Eric. Seriously. Are you telling me that back when you were like 12, you should've realized that by not returning Hallow's affections, she would someday murder your cousin?"_

"_Well, I guess when you put it that way, it does sound kind of absurd."_

"_Eric, it sounds absurd no matter HOW you put it. None of this was your fault. You need to just get past all of this, and start living your life again. Those two women already took my life away. Don't give them even more power by letting them take yours, too."_

"_It's hard though. I miss you, Clance."_

"_I know, Eric. I wish I was still there with you. But, you've got wonderful people around you who want to you to be happy. You need to at least try."_

"_I just don't know if I can do it anymore."_

"_Suck it up, dude. You seriously sound like a whiny bitch right now, I'm telling ya!" Clancy laughed heartily. "I need you to start living again, Eric. It's time to let all of this go and just be happy."_

_Eric watched the flames in front of him flicker as he thought about what his cousin was saying. And, almost as if someone flipped a switch in his head, Eric finally realized that Clancy was right. "You're right. I've gotta go back and face the world."_

_Clancy smiled, put his hand on Eric's shoulder for a moment, and then stood and began walking away. He didn't get far, however, before he turned and spoke again. "You know what the really funny part of this is, Eric? Since this is just a dream, you had the answer inside yourself all along."_

Eric woke and bolted upright. He checked his watch, and found that it was only 5am. He was too keyed up to go back to sleep however, so, he went into the kitchen and began making coffee and breakfast. Kristofer stumbled into the kitchen shortly after 6, surprised to see Eric.

"How come you're up so early?" he asked as he poured himself a mug of coffee.

Eric answered, "I've got a plane to catch."

**A/N The lyrics that Sookie wrote in this chapter are from Give Me A Sign, by Breaking Benjamin. However, I DID change them slightly. The line which, as Sookie wrote it, reads "Don't leave me here forever in the dark," in the original is actually just "Leave me here forever in the dark." The change seemed appropriate. If you want to hear the song, you can find it at: ****http: / www. youtube. com/ watch?v= 97S66xee0U8****. Remember to remove the spaces. We're getting close to the end of this one, only a couple more chapters to go.**

**On a side note, does anyone else but me think that Sophie-Ann's fangs on True Blood are oddly large? They're like twice the width of any other vampires. Weird…**


	15. Chapter 15

Lafayette sighed as he finished looking through a rack of clothing, having found nothing that caught his attention. He turned and looked at Sookie, and felt a now familiar tug on his heart. He was at a loss about how to help her. She would make every attempt at being her usually sunny self, but, it was always as if something was missing. Every once in a while, she would get this far off look on her face, and she would look almost like a statue.

"I tell ya what, Sook," he said, recapturing her attention, "we'll look at the last two racks here, and then we'll head back, okay?"

"That would great, Laf. Thank you," she said as she gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Lafayette began flipping through garments on one rack, while Sookie looked over the other. They were in search of something stylish and sexy for her to wear to the Grammy's in a few weeks. They were going to be performing, and, although she knew she could change into something separate for their performance, she'd opted to just get one outfit, rather than two. Since they were going to be up on stage performing, she'd decided against a dress or skirt.

She wasn't seeing anything that grabbed her fancy, until she caught a glimpse of red satin. She grabbed the hanger of the garment, and held up a halter top in front of her. It was a little more daring than she'd normally try, but, she fell in love with it instantly. It had a band at the bottom that would sit around her waist, and then the front split up the center. There was a layer of material that would cover her breasts, and a strap that would hold it all up around her neck. The skin from the bottom of her breasts all the way down to her belly button would be showing. She whipped around to show the top to Lafayette, and practically jumped up and down with excitement when she saw him holding up a pair of black leather pants.

She grabbed the pants from him, and went into the dressing room to try both items on. A few moments later, when she walked out, they both knew they'd found the perfect outfit. Once she'd purchased the two items, they made their way to the mall parking area, while discussing what kind of shoes she would need to wear.

After a brief stop at the Sonic for a Cherry Limeade, they were headed back to Sookie and Jason's house. At around the half way point, Lafayette's cell phone began to ring, and Sookie immediately recognized it as Eric's ringtone. She stiffened slightly, but it was enough of a difference for Lafayette to take note. As Lafayette answered the call, she turned to stare out the window.

The day that Eric had broken up with her, Sookie had spent the evening at Lafayette's house, getting drunk and allowing herself to wallow in her misery. He'd done his best every day since to keep her busy, and keep her mind off of how badly she missed Eric. They had an unspoken rule that neither Eric, nor the end of their relationship, was ever talked about.

Lafayette ended the call. "So, that was Eric," he said, recapturing her attention. "He wanted to let me know that Amelia's flight back in to Shreveport is going to be an hour late, so, Alcide can't pick her up from the airport. He just wanted to make sure someone was there to give her a ride home." Sookie just nodded. She'd known that Amelia was scheduled to fly back from Sweden today, after having gone to pay her final respects to her sister. She'd harbored some hope that Eric would return with her, but, it seemed now that that wasn't the case.

"So, does that mean you got volunteered to play chauffeur?" she asked with a small amount of humor in her voice.

"I did. But, you know I don't mind at all. I think that we all can say we'd do just about anything for Amelia."

"Ain't that the truth," she said, but then sighed. "Well, all but one of us, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Lafayette asked.

"She was hoping to bring Eric back with her. I guess he told her no."

Lafayette reached over and placed his hand on Sookie's knee, giving it a comforting squeeze. As they pulled into the driveway, Sookie was surprised to see Jason's truck parked next to the house. "Well that's weird, I didn't think Jason was gonna be home this afternoon. He's supposed to be helping our friend Sam repaint his front porch."

Lafayette parked the car, and the two of them got out and made their way into the house. "Jason, you here?" Sookie yelled.

"Yeah, hang on, I'll be out there in just a minute," he said, his voice coming from his bedroom down the hall. He walked into the living room a moment later, the charger for his cell phone in his hand.

"I thought you were helping Sam paint today?" Sookie said.

"Yeah, I'm headed over there now. I let my cell run down, so, I just stopped by to pick up the cord, and I'll charge it over there while we're working," he answered. "Did you get something to wear?" he asked, indicating the shopping bag she was holding.

"No, I just make a habit of carrying old clothes around in shopping bags after I go to the mall," she said, and rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go hang this up."

She began walking towards her bedroom, when Lafayette called out to her. "Sook, I'm gonna take off. I need to stop and get gas on the way to the airport, so, I'll catch ya later, okay?"

"Sounds good, Laf. Thanks for going shopping with me." By this time, she was in her bedroom. She pulled out a hanger, put her new outfit on it and put it in her closet. She heard the house front door open and close, and, looking through the window, saw both vehicles pull out. So, it was a little disconcerting when she heard movement coming from the living room.

She slowly made her way into the hallway, and down the hall towards the living room. When she heard a guitar begin to play, she froze for a brief moment. But, when she heard the voice start to sing, her heart began pounding in her chest. She walked into the living room to see Eric, sitting on the edge of the couch. He was wearing a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his muscular chest and arms like a second skin. She could only stand in awe as he began to sing.

_This time, this place, misused mistakes_

_Too long, too late, who was I to make you wait_

_Just one chance, just one breath_

_Just in case there's just one left_

'_Cause you know, you know, you know_

_I love you; I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you, been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

_On my knees, I'll ask, last chance for one last dance_

'_Cause with you, I'd withstand, all of hell to hold your hand_

_I'd give it all, I'd give for us, give anything but I won't give up_

'_Cause you know, you know, you know_

_I love you; I've loved you all along_

_And I miss you, been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go_

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore_

_So far away, been far away for far too long_

_So far away, been far away for far too long_

_But you know, you know, you know_

_I wanted, I wanted you to stay_

'_Cause I needed, I need to hear you say_

_That I love you, I have loved you all along_

_And I forgive you for being away for far too long_

_So keep breathing 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it, hold on to me and never let me go_

Eric drank in the sight of Sookie. It felt like it had been years since he'd last seen her, instead of days. She was wearing a simple pair of denim shorts and a pale yellow tank top, with her hair pulled up. He was once again overwhelmed by how beautiful she truly was.

He'd been lucky enough to sleep for the majority of his flight from Stockholm straight through to New York. While he and Amelia changed planes, he had finally begun to feel nervous and unsure as to whether or not Sookie would take him back. He'd called Jason, who told him that, although she deserved better, Sookie was still crazy about him, and would most likely take him back in a heartbeat. He was struck by inspiration on the second flight, and pulled out a notebook and wrote a song, hoping to be able to express to Sookie everything that was in his heart.

The moment they'd landed in Shreveport, he called Lafayette and explained to him what he had planned. Lafayette was in his car with Sookie, so, he had to try and hide what he was talking about. But, he'd agreed to get Sookie to her house, and then make sure she was alone. Alcide dropped Eric off at Sookie's house while she and Lafayette were still on their way home. Jason was in on the whole thing, and had hidden Eric in a closet until Sookie had entered her bedroom.

As Eric sat, silently waiting for some sort of response from Sookie, he couldn't recall a moment in his life when he'd been more nervous. He was completely amazed that he'd been able to make it all the way through his song. He saw that tears had begun to fall down her cheeks, and a feeling of dread began to fill him. After another moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"Eric, I can't…ugh….I don't know what to say to you right now."

"Just say what's in your heart, Sookie," he said, scared to hope she returned his feelings.

"Oh God, Eric. I love you so much."

Before she'd even been able to finish her sentence, Eric was off the couch, pulling her into his arms. She reached up and put her arms around his neck, pulling his face to hers, and kissed him fiercely, passionately. He bent over slightly and put his hands behind her knees, picking her up, and felt her wrap her legs around his waist. When she finally pulled her lips from his, gasping for air, she found that they were now in her bedroom. She dropped her legs, and he reluctantly put her down. She turned, shutting and locking the door behind her, and then looked into his eyes.

"Eric, I know that we have a lot to talk about. But, for right now, I just really need for us to make love." She smiled when he offered no objection.

**A/N The song used in this chapter is Far Away, by Nickelback, which you can view here: ****http:/ www. /**** watch?v=j4y-RzVGrHg. ****Just remember to remove the spaces. **I can't seem to get the link for Sookie's Grammy top to show up correctly, so, if you want to see it, there's a link on my profile. Sorry if the description in the chapter isn't all that great, I'm not good at describing clothes! **The next chapter will hold **_**the talk**_**. Review, and let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N I won't take a whole lot of time apologizing for the length of time since my last update, except to say that I'm sorry about that, but unfortunately, sometimes life happens. **

**I'm lucky enough to be the beta for an awesome story called 'Dying Love' by mavrosal. If you're not reading it, you should be. It's an Eric/Godric/Sookie fic, and having written one myself, I can honestly say that my lemons wish they were half as good as hers! The reason I mention this, is because she was totally awesome and made a kick ass banner for this fic. The link to the banner is on my profile, and you can read her fic here:**

**http: / www. fanfiction. net /s/**** 5996996/1/**

Eric turned his head slightly, attempting to bury his face in the pillow. He inhaled deeply, and smiled. He'd drowsed a little after he and Sookie had made love, and he was enjoying the sensation of sleeping once again on a pillow that was inundated with her own personal scent. He casually stretched his arm out, intending to pull her body close to his. He was confused, however, when he felt nothing but air. He opened his eyes, and sat up, attempting to locate her. He saw that she was sitting cross-legged in the plush chair that sat in the corner of her bedroom. Hanging on the wall behind her was a clock, and Eric was stunned to see that he'd been asleep for four hours.

"Wow, I'm sorry I slept for so long," he said, gently smiling at her.

"No worries. I figured it was the time change and jet lag."

"Not to mention having all of my energy drained by absolutely mind-blowingly wonderful sex," he said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

She smiled, tilted her head a little and said, "Oh really now? Does that mean you enjoyed what we did?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely" was his answer.

"Good," she said, her face suddenly becoming much more serious. "Because it's not going to happen again for a really long time."

Now he was confused. "I don't understand," he said.

"Eric, I love you with all my heart. And I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you're home. But, just writing me a pretty song and telling me that you love me isn't going to suddenly make everything all better."

"I didn't think it was. I just thought it was probably the best place to start," he said, beginning to sound a little exasperated.

Sookie sighed, stood and crossed the room, then sat down next to him, turning her body so they were facing each other. She picked up one of his hands and held it in both of hers. "It's a wonderful place to start, honey. And believe me when I say that I'm touched by how romantic a gesture it is. Your song really was beautiful, and I'm beyond ecstatic to hear you say that you love me. But, I think we both know that we have a lot of hard work to do on '_us_.'" He nodded, indicating he completely agreed. "But, honestly, no matter how hard you try to make something work, it won't happen unless all of the component parts are working first. '_We_' will never work unless we work on '_you_' first. Does that make sense?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah, it makes sense, Sook. I just want everything to go back to the way it was."

Sookie shook her head at him. "Eric, that's impossible. Things will never be the way they used to be." When he opened his mouth to argue with her, she said, "No, hear me out. I don't mean that in a bad way. In order for things to go back to the way they **were**, we'd have to be the same people that we used to be. But, we're not. That Eric and Sookie don't exist anymore. Too many things have happened to change who we are. At the risk of sounding cheesy and cliché, we need to embrace the changes and adapt to our new reality. In order to survive, and be happy in this world, we have to grow." She leaned closer into him and took his face in her hands. "Make no mistake though; I'm in this with you for the long haul. I want us to be able to grow together, as a couple. Eric, you and I have been best friends almost from the moment that we met. The fact that we're in a relationship now does not change that in any way. And as your best friend, I want to do whatever it takes to help you heal. It would be completely selfish of me if I allowed us to work on our relationship before we worked on you. I don't want to be selfish with you. More than anything else in this world, I want you to be happy."

When he noticed that tears had begun to pool in her eyes, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, and wrapped his arms around her ribs. "I truly don't know what cosmic force decided to grant me a chance with you, but I promise you here and now that I will, for the rest of my life, do my best to be someone worthy of your love."

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and then pulled her head back a little to look in his eyes. "Eric, the fact that I love you has nothing to do with your worth. You don't have to do something special, or be someone you're not to have people love you. Just be you. That's who I fell in love with, and that is who I will continue to love, probably until the day I die."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and it seemed that he was deep in thought. When he opened them again, Sookie was surprised to see tears beginning to form. "Baby, what I said to you on the phone…"

She knew where this was heading, and began to shake her head. "Eric, it's okay. You don't need to explain yourself to me. I can't pretend that those words didn't hurt me, but I do understand why you said them."

"I just, I guess I thought that you deserved to have someone who could make you happy, and that I'd never be that person because of all the baggage I have. I knew that you wouldn't accept my baggage as a compelling enough reason to end our relationship."

"So, instead you decided to lie. And, as if lying wasn't enough, you picked the most awful, hurtful, malicious lie available to you. Eric, face it sweetie, you took the chicken shit way out."

"I know. In trying to save you from being hurt in the future, I hurt you now. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

"Plus, it was very high-handed of you," Sookie said with a ghost of a smile.

"Why do you say that? I mean, I understand the definition of high-handedness, I just don't understand how you can see what I did as being high-handed."

"You made the decision for me. You figured that I couldn't be happy with someone with your kind of problems. Yes, dealing with the repercussions of what your mother did is going to be very difficult. And, to be honest, it's not at all something that I'm looking forward to. But, I would never just abandon you to deal with it on your own. Eric, my mother abandoned Jason and I emotionally, so, as adolescents, we had to cope with Tray's death with only each other to lean on. It brought the two of us closer than I think we ever would've been otherwise. If she'd been there for us, we could've helped her heal as well. It would've been mutually beneficial, but instead she chose to wallow in her misery all by herself. I refuse to abandon you simply because you think it would make things easier for me. I am not a weak person, and I will not give up just because something is difficult. Had it occurred to you that you and Amelia are not the only ones that are going through this? I mean, I know that it means more to you, and that it cuts deeper for you than the rest of us. But, that doesn't mean that we're not hurting as well. Lafayette has been torn up inside by this, and he could've used his best friend recently.

"Besides, have you even taken the time to think about how much **harder** you made coping with this for me? After we moved to Chicago, you know that Jason and I stayed in touch with Clancy. And we spent some time hanging out with him when we moved back down here. Because he and Tray were so close, having him around was like having a piece of my brother back. When he died, it almost felt like losing Tray all over again. And then, with what happened with Bill, I felt like things couldn't get any worse for me. But, then Jason and I got involved with Shades of Dawn, and it's just been incredible." She once again placed her hand on his face, cradling his cheek. "And I fell in love with a wonderful, caring, talented man, who loves me right back, and rocks me in the bedroom like nobody's business! I felt really, truly happy about my life for the first time in a very long time. And then it was all suddenly gone. None of us knew what would happen with the band if you couldn't deal with this. And the man I fell in love with suddenly decided we weren't going to be together anymore. Now, I'm not trying to make this harder on you, and it isn't my intention to send you on some huge guilt-trip. But, you really do need to understand that, with that one little phone call and that one lie, my entire world came crashing down on me."

Eric's eyes once again began to fill with tears. "Sookie, I swear I never meant to hurt you like that."

"I know, Eric. It's like I said before, I understand the reasoning behind why you did what you did. You did something completely awful, but, it **was** done with the best of intentions."

"Exactly."

"But, baby, you need to remember that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. You can have all the right reasons in the world for doing the wrong thing, but in the end, you still would've done the wrong thing. You just need to remember that you're not alone. I know than when you were growing up, you really didn't have anyone else around because you're parents were such social creatures. But, that's not the case anymore. There are so many people who love you, and want to help you, and see you be happy. You just need to give us the chance."

Sookie went into the kitchen to make something for Eric to eat, while he showered and thought about what she'd said. When he joined her about 10 minutes later, he told her that he'd made a decision about what to do. Because it would affect not only the two of them, but the other members of their band as well, they called Alcide, Lafayette, Jason, Pam, and Amelia, asking them all to meet at them at Eric's house later that evening.

Once they'd all arrived, Sookie got drinks for everyone, and they all sat in the living room together. Finally, Eric began to speak. "I wanted you all to know that I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I was very distraught by the news of my mother's involvement in Clancy's death, and I let my sorrow consume me. I thought that I was doing the right thing by pushing everyone way, because I didn't think you guys deserved to have to deal with my problems. But, as was pointed out to me earlier," he reached over and took Sookie's hand in his own, "that was very selfish of me. Just because you all aren't related to Clancy by blood, doesn't mean he wasn't your family. You guys have had to suffer through this just as much as I have. And, by pulling away, I know that I made everything much harder than it needed to be. I'm not going to do that anymore. I can't let the mistakes that others have made in the past dictate how I live my life now, and in the future. And I refuse to give my mother anymore power over me by letting her hatred destroy my life, like it did Clancy's."

"What do you plan to do, then?" Lafayette asked, feeling hopeful for the first time in months.

"Well, I'm going to start meeting with a grief counselor, for one thing. I guess I'm finally ready to admit that I can't just rely on myself to get over this. I need help, and, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to be happy again, and to make those I love happy, too." He couldn't resist the urge to lift Sookie's hand and kiss it.

"Oh, get a room, you two," Pam said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to know you two are going to work things out, I just don't need to actually witness it." The room was filled with the sound of laughter.

Once they'd all stopped laughing, Alcide asked "And what about the band, Eric?"

Eric took a deep breath, and turned to face Alcide. "Well, we've got two weeks 'til the Grammy's. I suggest we start rehearsing like crazy so we blow everyone away when we take the stage."

"Oh, hell yeah!" Jason responded.


	17. Chapter 17

Sookie sat in straight-backed chair in her Los Angeles hotel room, listening to Lafayette go on and on about the previous day's rehearsal.

"Did you see Jason while Beyonce was on stage? I swear it looked as if he was trying to make the dancers clothes suddenly become invisible, he was staring so hard!"

Sookie laughed, and made an attempt to turn her head to look at him. She was quickly admonished by the woman who was working on her hair and make-up, and instead just continued to look straight. "Yeah, I've seen him ogle at women before, but that was just hilarious!"

"I wonder if any of them noticed? If they did, I'm sure they'll be glad to hear that we won't be going to the same after-party as they are!"

"Alright, Miss Stackhouse, I'm all finished here," said the woman who had been working on her. She packed up her very large case, and left the room while yelling over her shoulder that she would be sending the bill for her services to Pam.

Lafayette took a quick look at his watch, before saying "You'd better get dressed, Sook. We're supposed to meet the limo driver in the lobby in 20 minutes."

Sookie made her way to the hotel room's large walk-in closet to change, but left the door open so she could still talk to Lafayette.

"So, was Russell disappointed when you had to postpone your little rendezvous?"

Jason and Sookie had been overjoyed when Lafayette had informed them a few weeks ago that he and their friend Russell had stayed in contact with one another since they'd been introduced. Russell had wanted to visit New Orleans, so he and Lafayette had made plans to meet there. However, Lafayette had unfortunately needed to postpone their trip when Alcide's wedding had been pushed up. Maria Star had recently found out that she was pregnant, and wanted to get married before she began to show.

"He seemed a little bummed, but, said it was alright. It's not like I'm cancelling, we just had to move it back a bit. Besides, personally, I happen to think that I'm worth waiting for!"

Sookie laughed as she stepped out of the closer and said, "That's for damn sure!"

A few minutes later, they were headed to the lobby to join Jason, Alcide, Maria Star, Pam, Eric and Amelia. Because Clancy had been nominated as an individual songwriter, Amelia had come along to accept the award if he should win. Eric had taken her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant while Sookie was getting her hair and make-up done.

As Sookie and Lafayette stepped out of the elevator, they saw that they were the last to arrive. At the sound of elevator opening, Eric had turned to face them, and Sookie felt her cheeks redden slightly at the look of pure lust he was giving her. He left the others to walk to her, took her hands in his, and pulled her close.

"Lover, you look absolutely amazing," he said, before leaning in and placing a kiss to the sensitive area just behind her earlobe. He smiled to himself when he felt her body shudder.

"I'm glad you approve," she said, nonchalantly stroking her hand down his chest to his abdomen. Eric was wearing a pair of form-fitting black leather pants, and a white dress shirt, with the top few buttons left open. Sookie thought that he looked like he'd just stepped off of the cover of a rock star issue of GQ.

With a flirty smirk, he stopped her hand from going any lower by twining her fingers with his, and then leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. They walked back to join the others just as a man dressed in a very nice black suit came through the doors to the hotel and gave some sort of signal to Pam.

"Alrighty then, let's go," Pam said, tilting her head to indicate the limousine that had pulled up to the front of the building.

Once they were all situated in the car, it pulled away from the curb. Almost immediately, Maria Star made a tiny moaning noise, and reached into her small purse to grab a couple of Tylenol, while Alcide reached into the limo's small fridge and handed her a bottle of water. She'd been having lots of problems with her pregnancy, and the stress of it was evident on the faces of both her and Alcide.

In a moment of rare compassion, Pam leaned forward and laid a hand on Maria Star's leg. "Hun, the limo driver has been informed that you and Alcide may need to return to the hotel early, so, if at any time you feel that you need to leave, just let us know, alright."

Maria Star nodded, and smiled weakly.

The drive from the hotel to the auditorium was short in distance, but painfully long in time, due to traffic, security, and media for the night. Pam took that time to once again go over the standard "Red Carpet Procedures" with them all. Remember to keep smiling, you're always being photographed. Don't allow any one reporter to take more than 2 minutes speaking to you. Don't allow yourself to get too far away from the other band members. Feel free to wave, smile, sign autographs, and take pictures with the fans, but, don't let them monopolize your time.

Their limo got into the long line of vehicles all queued up to drop their riders at the top of the red carpet. Sookie took that time to take in a few deep breaths, hoping to calm her nerves. It wasn't the large crowds that made her anxious, but the combination of the people, the flash bulbs, and the pure chaos that it entailed. The last time she'd been in a similar situation was at the release party for their album, and the only reason she'd made it through that experience was that Eric was with her the whole way. She couldn't help but smile as she felt him take her hand in his and squeeze. Somehow, he always had a way of knowing when something was bothering her.

She turned to face him, and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss as their limo came to a stop. A whoosh of noise filled the space as one of the ushers opened the limo door, and they all began filing out. Jason and Lafayette got out first, followed by Pam and Amelia, then Alcide, who turned to help Maria Star out as well. Once she was clear of the doorway, Sookie and Eric climbed out hand in hand.

They both plastered large smiles to their faces, and Eric turned to wave at the large group of female fans who were screaming his name. They made their way slowly through the throng of reporters, stopping when required to answer a few questions, and signed autographs whenever they could. The others were all waiting for them at the end of the line, and a huge commotion began behind them just as they caught up. They were pushed through the doors into the lobby, though, before Sookie could turn to see what was going on.

"What was that all about?" she asked Lafayette as they continued towards the auditorium.

Lafayette laughed as he said, "I think Lady Gaga just showed up wearing an aquarium, complete with live fish and everything!"

Because they weren't performing until the second half of the awards show, they were ushered to their seats, which were only a few rows back from the front. Thankfully, they were seated at the aisle, so none of them would have to climb over anyone when they left their seats to perform. Lafayette took the aisle seat, followed by Sookie, Eric, Amelia, Jason, Maria Star, Alcide, and then Pam. They didn't have a long wait before everything got started.

Sookie was excited about the opportunity to see so many different artists perform, but, she was surprised at how boring the rest of the event was. There was a lot of down time to allow for commercial breaks, and several of the acceptance speeches ran long. She was thankful that she was sitting between Eric and Lafayette, because they did their best to keep her entertained by making fun of what other people were wearing, or telling funny stories about some of the other performers.

The show had just returned from a commercial break, when John Mayer appeared center stage. A camera man had crouched down in the aisle next to them, and Sookie felt Eric's body stiffen next to her, and he squeezed her hand. She knew this meant that one of the categories they were nominated for was about to be announced.

John Mayer began to list the nominees for best rock song, and Sookie smiled at the camera when he said her name, and made sure to keep the smile on her face as it panned over to Eric and Amelia as Clancy's name was announced. She felt Lafayette reach over and take her other hand as the envelope was opened. "And the Grammy goes to…" John said as he read the card inside, "Until The End, Shades of Dawn, Clancy Crane songwriter."

Applause broke out all over the auditorium, and Sookie leaned over to kiss Eric as he and Amelia began to make their way to the stage, the camera following them the entire way. The other band members had all stood when Clancy's name was called, and it wasn't until Eric and Amelia were standing next to John Mayer that Sookie realized that the entire audience was on their feet, and the applause was not beginning to die down.

On the large screen at the top of the stage, a picture of Clancy playing his guitar was shown, and Sookie had to reach up and wipe a tear from her eye as she looked at it and listened to the applause. The audience remained on their feet, clapping for almost a full minute before Eric was finally able to speak into the microphone. He looked down reverently at the trophy he was now holding in his hand, and Sookie wasn't at all surprised to hear how full of emotion his voice was.

"On behalf of my cousin Clancy, thank you very much. I'm actually going to let this lovely woman," he said, gesturing to Amelia, "do the talking, because as Clancy's mother, I'm sure she'd do a better job expressing what he would be feeling in this moment than I could."

Eric stepped back, and Amelia moved herself closer to the microphone. "My son loved music, and more than anything else in life, he loved performing with his band. He said that he never felt more like himself than he did when he had a guitar in his hand, and he could look over and see his best friends as engrossed in the music as he was. I know that he would've been honored to receive this award, knowing that others appreciated the words and notes that he had poured his heart and soul into. Thank you."

The applause began again as Eric and Amelia were escorted off the stage, and Sookie leaned over and rested her head on Lafayette's shoulder. He put his arm around her and hugged her to him.

It was a while before Amelia and Eric joined them again, because they'd had to go back stage and do the requisite interview that all award winners face right after they'd won. In fact, Eric hadn't been seated for two minutes before an usher came to take them to prepare for their performance. Once they left, Amelia moved to sit next to Pam and Maria Star.

When they'd first been asked by the producers of the awards ceremony to perform, they'd been given the choice of whether to perform the song Clancy wrote, or the one Sookie wrote, since both were nominated for best rock song. They'd chosen Clancy's song, and now that it had won, it seemed like an inspired decision.

The house lights dimmed, and strobe lights began illuminating the stage, moving across it in sweeping motions. The lights settled on Sookie as she began to play the introduction of the song, and as the other band members joined her, more lights were added, until the full stage was lit. Behind Alcide's drum set, there was a long staircase that led to a platform, and a spotlight came on just at the right moment, showing Eric standing at the top. As he began to sing, he made his way down the staircase, and eventually took his normal place center stage, between Jason and Sookie.

Not long into the song, Amelia felt Pam reach over and link arms with her, and Amelia turned to her and smiled. It was only then that she realized she'd begun crying again. As the final notes of the song rang out, Amelia leaned over and whispered in Pam's ear, "I know that wherever he is, Clancy is looking down on this, smiling."

Once the song had ended, Eric, Sookie, Jason, Lafayette and Alcide began handing their instruments and equipment to the members of the tech crew that had rushed onto the stage. They were only half paying attention to the other side of the stage, where another award was about to be given. They left the stage, and were turning to go through the hallway back into the auditorium to take their seats. However, an usher stopped them, and told them they would need to stay backstage for a few more minutes. There had been a last minute change in the order of award categories, and the next to be announced was Best Rock Album, which they were nominated for. In case they won, the producers didn't want them halfway back to their seats when it was announced.

They were standing around a monitor, watching what was happening on stage, when someone walking past them gently bumped into Sookie. The person in question turned to her slightly, put his hand on her shoulder, and said, "Terribly sorry about that, love," then continued to make his way on stage. On the monitor, they saw the figure come into focus, and Sookie squeaked a little and had a bit of a "fan girl" moment.

"Oh my goodness," she said breathlessly, "I was just touched by Paul McCartney!"

Jason and Eric laughed quietly at her, and then began to listen when they realized that their category was being announced. They were all huddled together, watching the monitor so intently, that they hadn't even noticed that a camera was now being pointed in their direction. As the other nominees were announced, their images were shown on the screen. When their album was announced, the image of all of them, arms wrapped around each other, looking at the monitor with excited anticipation flashed onto the screen, and they heard some snickering coming from the audience.

They all felt that time had started to stand still as they watched Paul McCartney slowly open the envelope. Sookie's grip on her brother tightened almost unbearably while they waited.

"The winner for Best Rock Album, Vocal or Instrumental, is….Until The End, Shades of Dawn!"

Sookie immediately squealed, and it took all of Jason's strength to pry her arms off of his neck before she strangled him! Lafayette, being the calmest of them all, quickly got them all to move onto the stage so they could accept their award.

As they made their way to the microphone, Eric noticed that everything suddenly seemed so surreal. He thought back to the day he met Sookie, after seeing her perform with her former band. Never would he have thought that having her and Jason join Shades of Dawn would put them on the path that would lead them to where they were now, accepting a Grammy award.

Once they were all center stage together, Lafayette stepped up to the microphone. "I know that I speak for rest of the band when I saw that we never in a million years thought this would happen. First off, thank you to The Recording Academy for this honor. We'd like to thank Bon Temps records for giving us the chance to make our living by making our music. Pamela Ravenscroft, our manager, but more importantly, our friend. To all of the many fans who were so wonderfully patient with us while were making this album. And last, but most certainly not least, to Clancy. We were honored to have been a part of his life, and we all know that he will forever be a part of ours. Thank you."

They made their way backstage and got through the required interviews, and were just returning to their seats when the show ended. Maria Star let Alcide know that she wasn't feeling well, so the two of them took a cab with Amelia back to the hotel, while the limo took the others to the after party being held in the VIP room of a dance club.

Eric and Jason sat together at a table, watching Lafayette and Sookie out on the dance floor. Sookie had already consumed a few drinks, and all of her inhibitions had been flung to the wind. Eric was unable to take his eyes off of her. She'd always been beautiful to him, but, the outfit she'd worn only served to enhance her beauty. He felt almost as if he was in a trance as he watched her smile and laugh. He didn't even notice when Jason stood and left him to go flirt with one of the many women at the club.

At the end of the song, Lafayette made his way to the bar to get another drink, and Sookie went to join Eric at the table. "You ready to get out of here?" she asked him. "I'm afraid that if I have another drink, I'm just going to embarrass myself!"

He laughed, nodded, and stood, taking her hand in his. The club was only a couple of blocks away from their hotel, so, they decided to walk back, giving Sookie the benefit of the fresh air. When they reached their room, Sookie went in first and kicked off her shoes while Eric turned his back to her as he shut the door. When he turned again, he was surprised to find himself pushed up against the door as Sookie nearly launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist, locking her lips to his in a frenzied kiss.

He gave in to his own lust as he walked them to the bed, but once they'd reached it, he set her down and took a step back. "Sookie, I don't think we should do this."

"Why not? I think we both know that, judging by your pants, your body wouldn't have any objections," she said, pointedly glaring at the large bulge that was his erection.

"Oh, I want to. No doubt about it. But, we made an agreement that we were going to avoid sex for a while. Sookie, if I cave in now, all that does is say that I care more about my own lustful urges, and less about keeping my promise to you that we'd work things out."

She moved around until she was on her knees on the bed, then reached out and took his hand. She pulled him closer to her, and then rested her forearms on his shoulders. "Eric, I know that we promised each other that we were going to do things right, and that we would do whatever it takes to make this work. And, I love that you're being noble and trying to keep that promise. But, let's be honest here for just a moment. We just won a Grammy for best album, and I'm drunk as a skunk. The only thing I can think of that would make this night even more perfect, would be for my ultra, incredibly sexy boyfriend would crawl into bed with me and fuck me until I can't see straight."

He laughed at her logic a moment, before reaching down and pulling his shirt off. "Well, who am I to deny perfection?"

**A/N So, after this, there's just the epilogue, and then that's it for this fic. As it stands right now, we're sitting at 453 reviews, and I'd REALLY love it if that could end at over 500, so, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!**

**At this past year's Grammy awards, one of the reporters on the red carpet was asking everyone what they thought Lady Gaga would show up in, and Ringo Starr said that he thought she would be wearing an inflatable skirt with live fish swimming around in it, and it just seemed too funny to pass up.**


	18. Chapter 18

**_Approximately 5 years later..._**

Sookie pulled her brand new crimson colored Jeep Compass into a parking stall, grabbed her purse and the magazine sitting on her passenger seat, and got out, engaging the anti-theft system. She stood back for a moment to admire her new vehicle. She knew Eric more or less hated it, because it seemed so big and bulky. But, she was the one who'd bought it, and she absolutely loved it. She finally understood why Eric always referred to his Corvette's (that's right, plural, over the year's he'd upgraded several times) as "his baby."

She entered into the 3-story building which housed several physicians and the like. She rode the elevator to the top floor, walked down the hallway, and waved at the receptionist when she took a seat in the waiting room at the office of Dr. Amy Ludwig, Grief Counselor. Taking a brief look at her watch, she knew Eric wouldn't be finished with his appointment for another 25 minutes.

She and Eric had been living together for the past 2 ½ years. She'd made plans to meet Pam and Amelia for lunch around the same time that Eric's appointment was scheduled for. Since they were both going to the studio after his appointment, she'd dropped him off so they wouldn't have to take two separate vehicles.

She took another look at the cover of her magazine. It was an advanced copy of the next issue of Rolling Stone, which Pam had just given her that day. The cover held a photo of Shades of Dawn, taken a couple of weeks ago. She flipped to the page with the feature article, and began to read.

_It is often said that 'misery loves company.' Most people would assume that to mean that, those who are miserable have a tendency to bring misery to others, so they are not wallowing on their own. However, for the members of popular rock band Shades of Dawn, it has come to mean something else entirely. It seems that 'misery' has decided it quite enjoys THEIR company. Once it has left them, it just can't resist coming back for more._

_During its first five years in business, Bon Temps Records, run by New Orleans native and socialite Sophie-Anne LeClerq, developed a reputation for signing artists who seemed to put out one hit record after another. When Shades of Dawn released their first album, they were no exception. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when guitarist Clancy Crane died of an accidental drug overdose while the band was on tour for their third album._

_Although they had almost finished recording their next album, the released was delayed as Eric Northman, lead singer and cousin of Crane, seemed to take the loss especially hard. Almost a year passed before the spot left empty by Crane was filled, and Shades of Dawn returned to the recording studio. They did so with not only one new guitarist, but two. Twin siblings Jason and Sookie Stackhouse brought a new level of intensity and talent to the group, and it seemed they were a perfect fit. In fact, the first single released from the new album was written by Sookie, and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts._

_The subsequent tour sold out in all venues, and the album itself was nominated for three Grammy Awards. 'I don't think I love you,' written by Sookie Stackhouse, along with 'Until the End,' written by Crane and recorded prior to his death, were each nominated for Best Rock Song. 'Until the End' ended up taking home that honor, along with the album taking home the prize for Best Rock Album. It seemed that the band had finally overcome the weight of Crane's loss._

_Shortly after the end of their 'Until the End' tour, publicist and manager Pamela Ravenscroft released a statement that the band would be taking a little time off before starting anything new. During this break, drummer Alcide Herveaux married his long-time girlfriend, Maria-Star Cooper, who at the time was expecting their first child. It was then that misery struck._

_Herveaux's wife unfortunately went into labor 2 ½ months early, and doctors had no choice but to deliver the baby. The baby, a little girl they named Janice, was in the hospital for 3 months before the Herveaux's were able to bring her home. According to Ravenscroft, the band did not even begin to discuss the idea of a new album until the child had been home for a few months, giving everyone time to adjust._

_By the time they were ready to get back into the studio, it had been almost two years since the release of their last album. The music industry once again began to buzz with anticipation over their upcoming album. Just when things had gotten started, however, they were once again brought to a grinding halt._

_Andre Paul, personal assistant and long-time lover of Bon Temps Records head Sophie-Anne LeClerq, drowned when his yacht was caught in a particularly bad storm off the coast of Florida. LeClerq was devastated, refusing to leave the home they shared after his funeral. Four weeks later, the legal team for Bon Temps received a letter from LeClerq stating that they were to auction off the record label to the highest bidder. Two days later, a housekeeper found LeClerq dead in her bedroom. The medical examiner ruled her death as a suicide._

_The record label was indeed sold to the highest bidder, which turned out to be Las Vegas business man Felipe de Castro. When announcing his intentions to move the company's base of operations to Nevada, de Castro gave all the artists under the label to buy out the remaining time on their contracts. However, he refused to allow Shades of Dawn to take this option, not wanting to lose their revenue._

_After a very heated legal battle, an arbitrator ruled that de Castro's demands were a breach in the original contract between Bon Temps and Shades of Dawn, and had no choice but to allow them to leave the label._

_The rumors of what label would be fortunate enough to sign the band began to fly. But, for several weeks, all questions on the issue were given the simple response of 'No comment,' from Ravenscroft. In an announcement that shocked the entire music industry, it was finally revealed that Shades of Dawn would be releasing any future albums under their own, newly formed label. Sam Merlotte, a friend and former band mate to both Stackhouse siblings, signed-on as producer, and Shades of Dawn once again returned to the recording studio._

Sookie's attention was pulled away from the magazine article when she felt someone's foot tap hers, and she looked up to see Eric standing in front of her.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded, closed the magazine, and rose from the chair. She once again waved to the receptionist as she and Eric left the office hand in hand. Neither said anything more until they were back on the road.

"So?" Sookie asked Eric, raising her eyebrows and glancing at him quickly before returning her attention to the road.

"So, Dr. Ludwig said that she feels I no longer need to continue seeing her on a regular basis. But, I'm always welcome to make an appointment and stop by if I feel the need. Oh, and, she wants a signed copy of the CD when it comes out." He paused for a moment while they both laughed. "Did you read the article?" He asked her.

"Most of it. So far everything's accurate. Although, with the way that Pam went over it before she allowed them to print it, I'm not at all surprised."

"Yeah, she's pretty thorough. So, how was lunch?"

"It was great. We just went to Applebee's. Oh, but you'll never guess who our waiter was!" Sookie took a moment to glance at Eric, and when he simply shrugged, she said, "Bill Compton!"

Eric laughed loudly. "Why the hell is he working at a restaurant?"

"I wondered the same thing. I mean, I knew that he was dropped by his label after he was arrested, but, his family's so wealthy, I never would've thought he'd need to take on a job. But, Amelia said she'd heard that his parents were so upset about his arrest, they totally disowned him and cut off his trust fund."

The two of them continued to laugh at the misfortune of Bill until they arrived at the recording studio. They walked in to discover they were the last ones to arrive.

"There you are. Great, let's get started," Pam said. "This is the last song, and everything else for the album is ready, so, let's see if we can't get this done quickly, alright?"

After they took a few minutes to set everything up, Pam sat alongside Sam Merlotte as the band began to record. She smiled as she listened to Eric's rich voice sing the lyrics that he and Sookie had written together.

_Hello, let me introduce you to the characters in the show_

_One says yes, one says no_

_Decide – which voice in your head you can keep alive_

_Even in madness, I know you still believe_

_Paint me on canvas so I become what you could never be_

_I dare you to tell me to walk through fire_

_Wear my soul and call me a liar_

_I dare you to tell me to walk through fire_

_I dare you to tell me, I dare you to_

_Hello, are you still chasing the memories in shadow_

_Some stay young, some grow old_

_Come alive, there are thoughts unclear you can never hide_

_Even in madness, I know you still believe_

_Paint me on canvas so I become what you could never be_

_I dare you to tell me to walk through fire_

_Wear my soul and call me a liar_

_I dare you to tell me to walk through fire_

_I dare you to tell me, I dare you to_

After a couple of takes, they were satisfied with what they had, and decided they would just need to record Eric singing over himself for extra layering. Alcide, Jason, and Lafayette all left, while Sookie sat with Pam and Sam while Eric continued recording.

Pam couldn't help but notice that Eric's eyes never left Sookie's as he sang. At one point, Pam noticed from the corner of her eye that Sookie was mouthing the words along with Eric as he sang. While they were waiting for Sam to cue up the track for the final time, Sookie suddenly stood, and left the room momentarily. When she came back, she had a piece of paper and a magic marker, and smiled brightly as she wrote something down, before once again taking her seat.

Pam didn't think much of it, and leaned over to speak with Sam as Eric sang through the song one final time. They were discussing how long it would take to edit everything, when they noticed Eric had stopped singing. Pam looked up at him, and noticed that he was looking at Sookie with a shocked look on his face. She turned to follow his gaze, and laughed out loud and clapped her hands when she eyes landed on Sookie, who was holding a sign up for Eric which simply read, "Marry Me?"

**A/N And that, my friends, is sadly the end of Shades of Dawn. First off, the song used in this chapter is I Dare You, by Shinedown. Now, I've had several people ask if I'm planning a sequel. Well, I'm not sure, yet. I'm not saying yes, but, I'm not saying no, either. I plan on focusing a bit more time on You Should Be Mine, then doing the promised one-shot sequel to Colorado Summers, then the sequel to Dark Past, Bright Future. If and when I DO begin a sequel for this, I will post a notice about it at the end of this fic. Thanks for reading, and as always, REVIEW!**


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